Silver Lion
by Seika Warrior
Summary: Talia had been friends with Jim and Toby since childhood. Now they find a mysterious mystical amulet from the canal. They find themselves caught in a vast world civilization of Trolls beneath their very feat.
1. Chapter 1 Becoming Part 1

Silver Lion

Trollhunters Fanfiction

Early morning in the culdesac neighborhood of Arcadia Oaks in the messy room with lots of paper scattered across the floor with colored pencils and books lies a young girl with silver hair swinging sleeping peacefully in her hammock. Ontop of her night stand, her phone was charging plugged into the wall, and when the clock reached six o'clock her alarm went off. She creeked opened her eyes, slowly sit herself up and reached for the phone. When she read the time on it she fell off the hammock and crashed on the floor giving her a bad wake up call.

She freshened herself up, got on her light grey one piece hoodie, olive green knee shorts, and black sneakers. Quickly cleaned her room, got her text books and backpack, and made it down to the kitchen. She got out some greens fridge, frozen fruit, and some pomegranate juice, took out her blender from one of the kitchen cabinets, and began mixing all of the ingredients together. "Stayed up late again, Tally?" A woman in her work out clothes sitting at the table reading the daily news on her tablet. "Oh, morning Aunt June." Tally said, finishing her smoothie. June put down her tablet to look at her only niece. "I know you dream of becoming an artist someday sweetie, but you need to take better care of yourself and focus on your homework if you ever want to graduate to get into a good college for that." The blender stopped running and the smoothie was completely finished. "I know Aunt June, but don't worry my grades are fine and I've been doing good on my studies." Talia assured her. "Even though my spanish teacher is a pain in the butt." "Tally, I'm pretty sure he's not as bad as he seems and is trying help you learn. Talia poured her smoothie into a thermas cup, sealed in tight with a lid, and put in her rubber straw in. "One of the girls in his class ended up getting a meltdown for having to fail one of his assignments. "The only reason we're not learning anything from his is because he's a big who likes to torture us!" June gets up from her seat, walks up to her and puts a hand on her shoulder. "Talia, I promise when parent teacher conference arrives. I'll have a little chat with Mr. Uhl" June said. "Now get a move on, or you'll be late for school."

After finishing getting ready, Talia made it to the front door outside to find her two best child hood friends waiting for her on their bikes. "Took you this long to get ready, Tally?" The short chunky boy, with copper brown hair, wearing a red sweater vest and cargo pants teased. "Still working on your diet, Tobes?" Talia teased, as she unchained her bike sitting beside her garage. "Tally" The thin boy with black hair, wearing a blue sweat shirt jacket and jean said. "Just kidding Jim." Tally said, as she got on her bike.

They pedaled through the neighborhood as fast as they could but time was slipping by. Jim and Tally were making speed, but Toby on the other hand was falling behind. "Ugh, it's eight o'clock!" Jime said. "We're gonna get suspended on a count of meat loaf!" Tobes complained. "Take the canal guys it'll save us five minutes!" Talia smiled knewing what Jim was thinking and liked the idea. "I'll race yah there, Jimbo!" Talia accelerated ahead, but Jim caught up to her neck to neck. "Guy's don't be crazy!" Tobes shouted, heavily breathing. "Ah, come on Tobes!" Talia shouted. "Yeah, live a little!" Jim said, as he and Talia jumped from the small hill into the air like jumping a ramp. "It's living I'm worried about!" "Come on Tobes, don't you ever want a little excitement?" Jim asked. Toby sarcastically chuckled 'No!'. Jim and Tally made eye contact with confident grins on their faces when they were closing in on the canal, then made a big leap in the air, and make remarkble landing. "I made it first!" Tally laughed. Jim smiled by Talia's competitive nature and not too bothered by making it to the canal what mattered to him was he enjoyed it, and making it to school on time. "Come on, Tobes!" he called. Then all of a sudden a powerful voice called him "JAMES . . . LAKE". He turned his head to the source of where the voice was come from confused and yet kind of curious. Talia looked at him because she too have herd it and looked to find a pile of rubble rocks in front of them.

When Toby had finally reached the canal he cumsily fell right into the canal screamed in terror as he fell right onto his face making his friends look back to him in an awkward position. Jim turned back to the rock pile, removing his helmet making his way over to whatever this powerful force that's pulling him in. Talia helped Toby up and followed Jim all curious and confused. Jim dropped his helmet to the side as he made it to the rubble. "Did you guys hear that voice?" he asked, hoping he wasn't going crazy. "What voice?" Toby asked. "JAMES . . . LAKE!" the powerful voice called once again making them jump. "That . . .That pile of rocks knows my name!" Jim said, as he crawled over to the rubble. "It's a pile of case farm. Minerals don't talk there's got to be a walkie talkie in here or something." Toby said making an excuse, crawling over next to Jim. "I don't know Tobes, I get a weird feeling that this is not some kind of prank." Tally said. Then a blue faint glow caught Jim's eye as he removed the rock it was under revealing a small round silver glowing device. Jim picked it up to take closer look at the ancient artifact, there was a small face, big and small arrows, and some little gears inside. "Huh, looks like an amulet." he believed. "You sure . . . 'cause it looks kind of bit like some sort of old pocket watch to me." Talia said, as leaned in on Jim looking at the device. Toby stood up and looked around to be sure is someone is around. "Who's doing this?!" he called. "Come out now!" Jim spoke to the amulet. "Hellooo, I'm listening." He put it up close to his left ear, as Toby and Talia closed in waiting for it to responds. But instead were alarmed by their high school bell making them scream and jump. "Aahh, the final bell!" Jim quickly picked up his helmet and ran for his bike. " We're so late our kids are gonna have detention." Toby complained. "Come on, come on guys!" Jim said, as they got on their bikes. "We can still make it!" "I'm right behind!" Toby said, as they pedaled away. But unkowning to them something or someone was lurking in the shadows in the sewer tunnels of the canal. Six pair of yellow eyes blinked in surprised of what he had just witnessed. "It chosed . . . a human!"

The kids made it right on time to their school and made to their first class in world history. Waltomier Strickler, he's really good on giving his students learning education than most teachers do in their school, infact he's kind of quite handsome with his english accent, was giving them a lesson in greece's history of the Peloponnesian war. Everyone was on their laptops typing down their notes about it as they listened. Toby was sitting right next to Jim as Talia was right behind. After this mornings strange encounter with this pacilur artifact got them distracted, but Jim on the other hand has his eyes on something else. Or rather a infact someone else. Talia searched on the internet hoping to find any resources through any history or myth perhaps to any clue, but none so far. She poked Jim and whispered "Okay, I've done some quick research on our new little friend here, and I have found nothing." Jim didn't listen, he remained leaning in his hand dreamily stareing at the girl in purple he's been crushing on. "Jim?" Talia whispered. She turned and looked to Toby with a cocked eyebrow wondering what was wrong with him. Tobes looked at her, then waved his hand infront of Jim's face without any response, and turned to who he was staring. "Really?" he sighed. "Jim, aren't you a bit concerned on about what just happened this morning?" Talia whispered. " I am." Jim said , then didn't you hear about what I just said?" "Well?" he asked. "Nothing, just a bunch of plushie toys." Talia finished. "Jim, would you agree?" Strickler showed up out of nowhere asking Jim. "With Herodotus' opinion on his tactics of war, as I've described?" "Oh, u . . ." he turned to Toby, but instead he looked away and awkwardly whistled. "Absolutely" Jim answered. "Excellent. Which tactics, specifically?" Strickler asked. Jim tried to think something quick "The, uh . . . winning ones?". Talia gently slammed her head on her desk by his humility as everyone laughed. The bell ring for the next class period. Talia and Tobes left the class room with everyone else except Jim.

Talia waited outside of the classroom door form as she listened to Jim having a conversation with Strickler. About him sleeping in on one of his lessons, and about him taking care of his mother working alot at the hospital. And giving him some girl advice. Jim walked out of the classroom with his friend waiting for him, and walked together for gym class.

Jim was rooting for Toby trying to climb up the room, Talia kept her distance from the crowd so she could work on her martial arts. While Toby was having a difficult time, Talia was making heat her body was soaking with sweat. She was so calm and focused on her form until their coach yelled. "WHAT IS THAT ON MY ROPE?" Talia lost her balanced and tripped. She sit up and turned to find Toby tangled on the rope, with Coach Laurence lecturing him. Talia got up and rolled her eyes in annoyance, and went to grab her sweat rag. Then she saw Jim walked over to Claire sitting with her friends on the bench chatting. "Come on, Jim, you can do it." she whispered.

"Beunas noches." Jim greeted, getting Claire's attention. She and the other girls noticed right away. "You speak Spanish?" she asked. He stammered having a hard time to answer, but then one of her friends told her to bail, leaving him standing. Claire then asked, "Do you like Shakespear?". "What?" he asked. "Do you like Shakespear?" she asked again. "Shakespear?" Jim asked. "The school play. We're having trouble getting boys to audition." she said, handing him the flier. " Uh . . . oh!" She walked away pulling her hair behind her ear. "Hasta huevo" he said. Talia walked up to him, put his hands on the back of his shoulders "So, how did it go?" she whispered. "It's like a flabby pinata!" They all turned to find poor Toby still dangling from the rope with Laurence yelling at him.

While the boys went to locker room, Talia hit the showers in the girls to cleanse herself; singing the melody of her favourite song. She rinsed her shampooed hair under the shower head, dried off with a towel and got dressed. As she got out of the locker room and went to get her bike to meet up with her friends, but instead she herd a loud chant coming from a crowd and Jim with the school bully; Steve, about to punch him. She quickly ran over, separated Jim from him, slammed Steve right against the lockers and locked him in a choke hold. "What do think you're doing, Palachump?!" She growled aggressively. Everyone gasped and whispered, and his friends who were with him backed up in fear recognizing who she was. "Oh no, it's the Amazon." Steve opened his eyes and met hers. "Tally?!" he squeeled. She pressed her forearm hard strangling him. "Still trying to be king of the hill again?" she threatened, as she pressed harder. "Remember the last time you when you and your stooges messed with my friends in elementry school? I beat you guys so hard you all ended up in the nurses office and stayed home for a week." Steve choked from the suffocation of being strangled by Talia's brute strength. "Well I'm warning you doofus!" She pressed her other hand against her face. "Don't make me do that to you again!" She growled, as she released him from her hold. He slid down against the lockers and looked up the fierce angry girl with fear he and looked like he was about to cry, and ran like a coward. She turned and glared at his friends making them retreat. "You ok?" she asked, lending her hand to her friend. "Yeah, thanks to you." Jim answered. "But let's get Eli out." He went to open one of the locker doors helping the bullied kid out. The crow who had witnessed the whole scene one of them said "My hero!" They all cheered and praised Talia's heroic action.

After school end, the children got on their bikes and pedaled all the way home. " Ha, how awesome are we? Did you see how I did that chant?" Toby laughed. "Let him out, Let him out." "You know you could end up getting detention, Tally, but the way you scared Steve that was epic!" he said. "But you might want to watch your back ,Jim, 'cause who knows when Steve will strike again." "Yeah,but I'll be there be there pound before he ever gets the chance." Tally said. As they pedaled down the road, they spotted a familiar vehicle coming their way pulling over. Jim's mother, greeted them "Hey kids." "Hey, mom." Jim said. "Hi Barbara." Tally waved. "Looking sharp, Dr. Lake." Toby complimented, as he forgot to hit the brakes on his bike and backed up to see her. "Thank you,Toby. So are you." She said. "Oh, does it show?" Toby said, looking at himself. Tally grinned shaking her head amused by Toby's optimism. "You're going to be out all night?" Jim asked. "Dr. Gilberg is out with bursitis, and Dr. Lenz has a wedding out of town this weekened." Barbara sighed. "Okay, well don't forget to bring your . . ." Before Jim could finish, she held up her 'Dinner' and thanked him. "Right. And try to find an oven to reheat it in instead of nuking." Jim said. "Takes all the nutrients and flavors away." He picked out Strickler's phone number wonder if he should really give it to her. "Jim, there must be a million things you'd reather be doing than looking after me." Barbara said. "Can't think of one." he said. "Love you, honey." she said, as she drove off. "You mother, your mother alot." Toby said. "Ha, see you tommorrow guys." Jim said, pedaling back home. "Hey, and by the way, don't use mayo on the sandwich. It's the wrong note." Tobes said. "Seriously Tobes, would it really hurt if you tried to make your own meals?" Talia asked, leaning on her bike. "There's no chef better than Jim." Toby said. "Well I can't argue with that." Tally agrees.

Tally parked and locked her bike outside of her house and walks up to the front door, and finds her aunt in a very serious position with her arms crossed. "How was your day, Talia?" she asked, but not in a good kind of way. "What's wrong Aunt June?" she asked nervously. "I just got a call from Palachuk's mother saying that you attacked at school." June said. Talia rolled her eye's and piffted by Steve's lie. "I didn't start any fight, he shoved Eli in the locker and Jim tried to resort in a peaceful way convincing him to let him out, but instead he tried to wail on him." Talia explained. "So I acted fast, and threatened him to back off. It was self defense!" "Tally, I know that Steve is a juvenile delinquent, but you can't just go off and do something like that!" Juned pointed out. "There are other ways things to do than resulting to violence, if you see a bully? You tell a teacher." "Yeah, well telling a teacher doesn't stop a thick headed jerk like him." Tally said. "When there are people who push you, you get get back up and push them right back! It's what I've learned back then and it's what helped me get through!" "Tally, you're acting like a child! You're father thought the same way he did when he was young, but in the end he learned to regret it. And if he were here right now, he probably would want you to not make the same mistake he did." June cleared. "Well dad's not here, and neither is mom! And when are you going to tell me their life story or anything, because you said you promise you'll tell me when I'm ready! So when will that time come?" Talia frustratingly asked. "Tally there are some things that are far too complicated and are better not knowing." June said. "But" Before Tally could say anything else, her aunt snaps "End of argument! Now go to your room!" Tally ran upstairs and slammed her door.

She drops her bag, jumps onto her hammock, and picked up one of her picture framed photo of her parents holding her when she was a baby. Her father was a strong tone handsome looking man, he had the same silver hair like her, and blue eyes, and her mother was thin with long copper brown hair, golden brown eyes, a cute looking face like her and the sweetest smile. When she put her frame away and took out a silver chained necklace with an oval shaped medal with carvings of a lions face. She gently rubbed her thumb on the texture of the medal, remembering when her father passed this onto to her when she turned five. Then she turned to her night stand and reached for her music box. It was round, colored in saphire blue, diamonds attached, painted with a cresent moon on top and some stars to make it look like the night sky. She turned and wind the key back, to play a lovely melody. This treasure was once her late grandmother's she played for her mom before sending her off to bed when she was young. Then it became hers when she passed away. Talia remembered the time her mother doing the same thing she did, for her. She sighed sadly as she laid her head back on her pillow. For not only she'd remembered all of the good times she had, but that fateful night on her fifth birthday when they were driving home from their camping trip, she was sleeping peacefully in the back seat covered in a blanket, Her father was driving, and her mother was watching the sun go down over the horizon. Just when things were going so smoothly, something rammed them. Talia was lying on the concrete road hurt and bleeding, she woke up in a blurry vision but she was able to see parts of the car shattered, fire and smoke, and something else. Although she did not have a clearer vision at that time, but it was big and black, and had firey yellow eyes. And another big thing except this one was all bright and shiney. Then the next thing she knows she woke up in a hospital bed with her aunt sitting right next to her.


	2. Chapter 2 Becoming Part 2

Chapter 2

June prepared Talia's favourite stir fried rice for dinner and told her it was ready, but she never came down. It had only been about two hours and the food was still sitting there on the table cold. Then she began to think that maybe she'd been too hard on her kid, should talk to her. She grabbed Talia's dish and heated it back up in the microwave, brought it upstairs and knocked on her door. But she did not respond. June twisted the knob on her door and creeked it open to find Talia lying on the hammock listening to her mother's music box. "Hey, I made you some dinner." she gently whispered, walking into her room. "I'm not hungry." she said. "Talia, listen I'm sorry I brought your father up." June said. "I didn't mean to. But please try to understand I'm only doing what's best for you." June set her plate on Talia's desk, grabbed a chair, and sat next to her. "I know things haven't been easy for you growing up." She continued. "You were always picked on, you couldn't make any friends, and have been dealing with that every single day." June continued. "But atleast you've got Jim and Toby, that's all that matters right?" Talia turned her head and said "Yeah, but what happens if their not around long enough to be her with me? That incident today with Palachuk, he could've beaten Jim to death. That's why I asked you to give me some martial arts lessons, so not only could I defend myself, but the people I care about." "You're right. Martial arts is an act self defense, but it is never supposed to be used in anger so don't ever forget that." June said, as she left the room.

Talia remembered about Jim and the Amulet, and decided to give him a call. But he did not answer, probably thought he might've gone to bed already. Talia grabbed her plate and finished eating her stirred fried rice, and got herself prepared for bed. Then Talia begun to have a dream.

She was in a white long sleeved dressed all bare foot, and somewhere alone in the middle of a forest. The sky looked close to dawn and over the horizon she believed it to be the sun. She shielded her eyes from the light as it got brighter, and then all of a suddent the light faded, revealing itself to be a lioness. Most lions are usually white or gold, but this one had shiney silver fur. Talia was frightened when she saw the mighty beast before her. She feared this giant cat might pounce and eat her, but instead she purred against her waiste like a domestic cat. Talia was confused at first, but when she reached out her hand and pet it's soft shiney fur. She felt not only her comforting warmth, there was something else she felt coming from this majestic creature, she was not sure on what it was, but she did know one thing and it was very powerful. But then, the lion had her ears pulled back, her hair spiked up, and bared her ferocious fangs on high alerted sensing something coming their way. Talia looked ahead and saw a giant shadowy figure with red eyes and more behind it. The lioness stood her ground protecing her human companion as it got closer and closer. Then she jumped for an attack. . .

Her alarm went off on her phone waking her from her dream. She groaned as she got up, shutting off the alarm, pulled her legs over the side of her hammocking looking at her hand where she petted the silver lion wondering what that was all about. But then she got a call from her friend Jim. "Tally! Something happened last!" he said, freaking out. "Did the amulet spoke to you again?!" Talia asked, as she got off from her hammock. "NO! Infact it's more than that! There were these two big guys! Things! That I've never seen before!" He explained, still freaked out. "Things? What kind of things?" she asked. "Okay last night when, I saw something in my basement. I thought it was raccoons, but then I remembered what Eli said about mentioning he saw something at the canal with creatures with stone for skin and . . ." Jim tried to explain before Talia cut him off. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait creatures . . . with stone for skin? What are you talking about?" "Okay look I know that this sounds crazy, but need you to look up everything on Trolls. And no I no I don't mean internet Trolls, but real Trolls! Mythogical Trolls!" he said, as he hung up. "Trolls? Wh. . . wait! Jim?" She was not sure on what he was talking about, but like it or not there was something strange going on in this town, and she needs to find out. She quickly got onto her compter, looked up the enternet, to find every single detail about trolls and printed them off from the printer.

Talia made it to school with all of the information Jim had asked for. She walked through the hall ways to find him. Then when he saw him, she ran up to him but then was cut off by their crazy spanish teacher, Mr. Uhl. "Miss. Sturges" he said, with his hands behind his back. "What is it this time, Mr. Uhl?" she sighed. "I've just recieved word from Mr. Palachuck about some incident that happend yesterday on the school grounds?" She pinched her fingers, between her eyebrows in frustration. "Look, we all know that Steve is a bully and liar. Whatever happened yesterday was all him. He was picking on the weak like he always does, and when I found my friend in his clutches, I stepped in for his defense and I told that loser to back off." she said. "When are you guys going to take your job seriously and expel that guy? Infact when are you going to realize that we are having a hard time learning from your class by the way you are treating us? Today, tommorrow . . . never?" He looked her with an unbelievable expression on his face. A young girl like her lecturing one of her teachers. "I thought as much." she said. "Now if you don't mind, I need to get to get to class." She walked around him leaving him standing in the middle of the hallway, dumbfounded.

Jim came to Mr. Strickler's office in hoping that he maybe of asstances on what had just happened to him. The room was very well organized, decorated with historical tikki looking masks, vases, and some big shells on his drawers and cabinets. "Ah, hello Jim. What can I do you for?" Strickler asked. "Um, do you have a minute?" Jim asked. "Are you alright? You looked peaked." Strickler asked concerned. "Here, sit." he generously offered. Jim walked in, grabbed a wheelie chair, and adjusting and turning the seat, explaining himself "Okay. I don't really know how to say this, but last night, something incredible happened." He adjusted the height to where he wanted and sat, continueing. "Actually, unbelievable. Completely unbelievable." He got back up and readjusted his seat again. "As in you won't believe me, but I'm telling you it's true. I promise you it's true." "All right. Just calm down. I'll believe you." he promised. "Um, okay. Last night, two, um, things showed up at my house." Jim explained. "Things?" Strickler asked playing with his pen. "You know, things. Guys. But really weird." He continued. "One had these eyes, and the other one was huge and hairy. And they said that they were tro. . ." he stopped. "Tro. . .?" Strickler said, curiosly. "Tr . . . trainers! Trainers who want to train me in . . ." He looked to find something to fill in his lie. "Ch . . .uh . . . chess." "And why would that have you so perturbed?" Strickler asked. "They really weirded me out." Jim nervously chuckled. "Now, I think I know what has you so distraught, Jim." Strickler said. "You do?" he asked. "It's like yesterday, you have a lot on your shoulders." Strickler explained. "Too much, on my opinion for someone your age. And I think this oportunity . . ." "Chess?" Jim finished. " . . . I think it's causing you anxiety." Stricler continued. " I know you want to be there for your mother, but it's as a great poet once wrote, do what's good for you, or you're not good for anybody." The school bell rings. "Hey, thanks for the advice I like talking to you." Jim said. "Always" Strickler said, appreciating his gratitude. As Jim left the door he noticed a familar glow coming from the side pocket on his book bag, leaving with his eyes wide opened.

Later in the evening, Jim was preparing lunches for tomorrow. Then herd a knock on the front door. He went over to open the door find Talia standing on her porch.. "Tally!" He looked outside to make sure there was no one around and pulled her inside, and locked the door. "Where have you been? I haven't see at school all day." Jim said. "I was called into the principals office and had to stay for after school detention." she explained. "Jim, I don't know what you saw last, but I did what you asked, and have done some research." she said, as she pulled out some paper from her back pack. "I found out that these guys considering from Norse mythology and scandinavian folklore. That they're known for living long before we have, they turn to stone if they're exposed to sunlight, they're ugly looking, they live in moutains, caves, and even some in under bridges." She said. Jim looked all through the paper and asked. "What else is there to know about?" "Well they're known for their super strength, they're not very bright, they can also be dangerous, and they really don't like us." Talia answered. "Huh, the ones I saw last night didn't seem like they hate me infact they were kind of friendly." Jim said. "And one of them sounded actually pretty smart." "Jim, are you sure you know what you saw? Because if this is a joke, it's not funny." Talia said. Before he could say anything, he felt a familiar strong presence again. He turned towards the amulet in his back pack as if it was calling for him again. "Jim?" Talia asked, looking at him scared before turning toward the amulet.

Jim and Talia went outside in the back yard with the amulet glowing in it's blue radiance. Then the strange looking characters switched to different words of languages, until it reached to english. Talia was now far more curious, and a although a little bit scared. Jim looked at her before he turned back to the amulet and read on what was on the amulet outloud. "For the glory of Merlin, Daylight it mine too command." A powerful gust of wind blew in, all of the electronics shut off, and everything around was floating in the air. Then a sphere of blue light came out from the amulet and flew around Jim, before flying right into his heart, then more followed. Jim closed his eyes feeling an incredible rush of power, his feet had left the surface floating in the air, a blue aura surrounded him. Talia stepped back witnissing on what was going on. Then big metal pieces surrounded him on what it appears to be armor. Then it clinged itself right onto him. The armor was so big he could hardly see or move around this thing, then the it shrunk down to size and fitted him like a glove. "This is so freaking cool!" Jim said, admiring himself, making a heroic pose. Then three small spheres of light went into his right hand, a huge beam of light bursted right out of his hand, and made another flash of aura. A Giant sword appeared into his hands, and landed between Talia's legs. Jim tried to pick it up, but the weight and size was too heavy. Then just like armor, it's size shrunk making light enough for him to wield. He looked and studied the blade and swung it around. Talia got back up on her feet all in awestruck . While Jim was having fun he lifted the sword high, too high it fell back and got it stuck in one of the boulder's in his mother's rock garden. "What the heck just happened?!" she shouted. Jim tried pulling out the sword while she was talking. "This is incredible! Do you know what this means?" She said, excited. "We have just discovered the existence of magic!" Jim managed to pull the sword out, until it landed getting stuck in another. "And you . . . you have been chosen by some sort of great destiny! Just like from one the hero's in the stories!" "I know, right?" Jim said, pulling the sword out from the rock. "We've got to tell Toby!" she said, pulling out her phone.

Then somewhere at the canal, a car pulled over on the side of the bridge close to the edge. Waltomier Strickler, came out of his car and walked down to the canal, to find the rock pile, and picked up one of the pieces where the amulet once was. "It's been taken. You failed. You let it go. Your father will be displeased." he said. Then a big black troll with fiery yellow - red eyes, horns curled down on the sides of it's hideous face, with twin blades carried on his back, skulls attached to his belt around his kilt. Strickler did not seemed intimitated by this monster, infact it was almost as if he knew him. The beast, growled in annoyance by this man. "Who ever wields the amulet of Merlin, I shall destroy him, just as I have done with every single one of them." he said. "Worry not, you brute. I know where to find it." Strickler said, as his eyes turned glowing yellow. "I believe that the amulet has found it's champion."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The next day, Jim and Talia got on their bikes and pedaled all the way across town in Arcadia to the dentist's apartment, to where to find Toby. They parked and chained their bikes, took off their helmets, and went inside. Talia went up to the counter and asked for the attendant "Excuse me, is Toby Domzalski here?" When attendent came to the counter to answer. "He's in a middle of an appointment with Dr. Muelas." Talia squinted her eyes, seeing the attendant shrouded by a black aura, just like the monsters she saw in her dream the other night. "Is something the matter, miss?" she asked, cocking her eyebrow. Talia shooked her head and rubbed her eyes, and saw the black aura disappeared. "Yeah . . . I think so." Talia said, turning away. Jim opened the door, to the dental room, the attentdant warned him not to go in, but he went in and found Toby lying in the chair, with the dentist's finger in his mouth. "Tobes! Tobes, Tobes, Tobes! I've got to talk to you!" he said, excelerating. Toby tried to talk, but his mouth still had the docter's big finger in. "What?" he asked. "He says he's a little busy right now." Dr. Muelas translated Toby's muffled mouth. He grabbed a few cotton swabs and stucked into his mouth. Talia came up beside Jim and covered her mouth disgusted by what they were all seeing. "Okay, remember that thing we found the other day?" Jim asked. "In the canals. The thing with the gem and stuff? It works. It works like crazy!" Toby turned his head to him and tried to speak with his muffled mouth again. "What?" Jim and Talia asked. "He says, this can't wait man?" The doctor answered, grabbing one of his tools, jabbed and drilled it into his mouth making him to scream in agony. "I've waited until morning. Who goes to the dentist two days in a row?" Jim said. The doctor finished using his tool, Toby spoked again in his muffled mouth, and Muelas said. "I want to get these braces off before I'm 30." He grabbed a plastic thing to make his mouth opened wide. "What?" Jim asked. Toby spoke again with his tongue flapping. Talia cocked her eyebrow and cringed her face in disgust. "It's like my mouth is a city engineering project." Dr. Meulas translated. "How much longer is this going to take?" Jim asked. He grabbed another one of his tools with a drill and saw and activated it making Toby screamed in terror.

The day had reached to evening, the group went to Jim's house and gathered in his kitchen. "Eight hours! I can't believe it takes eight hours." Jim said, pacing in the room. "I tell yah, Tobes, there is seriously something wrong with your mouth." Talia said, sitting on the kitchen stool near the counter. "Two molars, plus insertions, and some cleanup." Toby explained. Jim went up to Toby and grabbed his shoulders "Okay, Tobes. You are never going to believe this." He went over to his back pack to grabb his amulet, as Toby went into his freezer to grab a frozen food to put on his sore mouth. Jim held out the amulet and concentrated channeling it's power. "Do you have any aspirin?" Toby interupted. "Tobes!" Talia said. "Pay attention!" Jim finished. Toby took a wiff at the frozen pizza box and enjoyed the tasty smell. Jim exhales and recited the enchantation "For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to . . ." A bell ringed from the microwave, Toby pulled out a heated pizza. "Toby!" Talia shouted, by his incomptenance. "Sorry, go on." he apologized. Jim scratched on the back of his head confused. "It worked last night." "Are you punking me right now?" Toby asked, closing the microwave door. "Okay, wait, wait, wait, wait." Jim closed his eyes, took a deep breath and concentrated activating the amulet's power, lifting himself and everything else in the air. "Holy, champignon!" Toby shrieked. Talia looked at him amused by the expression on his face. The armor appeared and clinged onto him, and landed with a big thud. "Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho!" How cool is that?!" Jim asked, excitedly. "What?" Toby breathlessly said. " Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" he repeatedly said, checking out his armor. "So cool, so cool, so cool! Dude, you know what this means, right? You have a sacred responsibilty here." "That's what they said!" Jim said. "And we are the only ones who had just discovered a world of the supernatural!" Talia said excitedingly. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" Toby kept on repeating. "You have to use these new powers for the benefit of manking. You have to use this to kick Steve's butt." Jim and Tally looked at him in disappointed expression. "Really?" Jim asked. "I show you a glowing sword and a suit of armor that can only be magic, and that's how you respond?" "Yeah Tobes, beside that sword could possibly kill him. Although I wouldn't mind it." she muttered. "Seriously, it's butt kicking time!" Toby said, showing off some fight moves. "Huh, these pants are so elastic." Toby said. "Also, who's 'they'?". "Well that's the part I've been freaking out over!" Jim explained. "Jim said he thought he saw . . ." A sudden knock came from the back door. Then revealed to be a big creature with blue looking skin, horns, fangs and teeth, with a large size tikki head and six eyes smiling waving at them. "Trolls?!" Talia shrieked, falling off from her stool. " Ahh, don't open the door!" Toby begged.

The creature barged into the house showing himself with four arms attached to his body. "Master Jim." he cheerfully said. Talia jumped right in front of Jim and Toby with her arms spread wide defensively. "Jim, how does this guy know your name?!" Talia yelled, freaking out. "Ah, I'm calling 911." Toby screamed. Then another creature came in trying to fit through the door. It was bigger than the other one, and had lots of green hair. "Holy cow!" Talia screamed. "No, animal control." Toby screamed, as he ducked and rolled behind the counter, and peeked over shakingly. "I knew it was a matter of time before the amulet called to us." the blue one said. "Called, to you?' Jim asked. "Actually, no. We've been spying on you." he said. "Spy on you." The big one chuckled, as he continued trying to get inside. Talia pushed Jim back and kept their space from them with her arms still wide opened. "Well , keeping a close watch." the blue one said. "So basically, you've been stalking him." Talia said. "That's kind of bit creepy if you ask me." The giant pulled himself through and crashed on the floor causing the house shake. Toby called animal control on his phone "Monster, at my best friends house!" he said. "I need you to send a squad." The lady on the phone said "Is this a joke kid?" Toby turned to see the giant green beast behind him. "Make that the National Guard!". The lady hung up on him. "You told your friends about us?" the blue one asked. "Um, is that a problem?" Jim asked. "Master Jim, have gone to great lengths, to keep our secret from your kind, lest there be panic." he explained. The big one grabbed Toby and set him on the counter with him wielding a ladle in defense. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh." he frightendly repeated. Jim put a hand on Talia's shoulder, and walked over Toby to assure them that they are no threat. "It's alright, guys. They're like nine feet tall." Jim said. " These are my friends, Toby D. and Talia Sturges." Talia let down her guard and looked at them with a cocked eyebrow, but Toby on the other hand was still afraid. "He has like eight hundred eyes. We're all gonna die.". "Hardly. Your friend is the Trollhunter. His noble obligation is protective." the blue one assured. "Like protecting?" He calmed and sat down. "You mean like a super hero? Oh, can I be his sidekick? With a cool super hero name like Deathblade or Snipersnake?" Talia stepped in and asked. "So, who are you guys?" "I am known as Blinky." The he introduced. "And this here is my good friend, Arrrgh." "With three r's" Arrrgh said. "Okay? So you guys are trolls? Jim's your Trollhunter?" They nodded. "Doesn't that sound kind of bit weird to you? I mean it's almost as if you guys are hunting yourselves." "Not exactly" Blinky said. "His duty is to protect us and mankind, from only bads trolls. As well as goblins, gruesomes, and the occasional rogue gnomes." "Gnomes?" Talia asked, not impressed by the last sentence. Toby took his ladel and poked his face test his hard stone skin. He turned his head annoyed "Do you mind?". Toby stopped and dropped the ladel in an awkard expression. He turned back and continued explaining to Jim. "The mantle of Trollhunter is a sacred responsibility, one which was never passed to a human before. This is a momentous occasion." Jim had never been freaked out in his entire life, not only he had found the existence of trolls and magic. He learned that he is the first human to have been chosen by their kind.

A car's horn honked coming from outside pulling into the garage to Jim's house. "Oh, it's my mother! Upstairs! Quick!" Jim said, as everybody ran up the stairs. "Mother?" Arrgh asked. "Yeah, don't you have one?" Talia asked. The troll accidently broke the wooden post. He stepped back and re adjusted it to the way it was before. They all went into the bathroom all cramped up with a loud thud. "Jim it's me." Barbara called. Jim had his hands on the door keeping it shut. "She' not suppose to be home until midnight." "Oh, honestly Jim when is your mom's schedule ever right?" Arrrgh made a big wiff on Toby, sucking up like a vacuum. "Mmm. . . You smell like cat." he said, with a happy dull expression. "My nana has a siamese?" Toby said. The troll lick his lips "Tasty.". Talia cringed her face disgusted. "I forgot my phone. Are you okay in there?" she asked, outside the door. Jim signaled them to do something. "Um, fine. I mean, my stomach has a little, uh . . ." Jim was cut off when he heard Talia making upchuck vomiting noises. Jim signaled her to cut it off saying she's making it worst. But Barbara listened and heard through the door, making her worried for her son's health. "Uh, you know I might have a food poisoning situation here." he lied. "Honey, I'll get you some medicine, okay?" she said, walking to the other room. Jim sighed stressfully and the amulet glowed making a strange sounds. "Okay, what's this going on here?". "The amulet reacts to your emotional state. You appear to be in some distress." Blinky said. "You think?" Jim asked. Tobes switched the light off amused by it. Talia slapped him back of the head telling him to take this seriously, as the big guy switched the lights on and off. "Okay, I have another question here." Toby said. "Speak, Theodore." Blinky said. "It's Toby, actually. Or Tobias." he corrected, stopping the giant troll from messing with the switch, leaving them in the dark. "If Jim is the first human Trollhunter, like you said, then who or what was the Trollhunter before him?" "The glorious mantle has been passed from troll to troll for hundreds of years." Blinky answered. "So, the previous Trollhunter, what, retired?" Jim asked. The trolls faces turned to sadness and deep sorrow. "Was felled." Arrgh answered. "Felled?" Jim asked. "Means killed." he explained. "Turned to stone and smashed." Blinky said. Talia eyes widen remembering the rock pile at the canals. "Kanjigar the Courages was his name." he continued. "Brutally slain by a ruthless troll named Bular." Jim was becoming more scared, but Toby noticed and put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, dude. This Bular guy probably just got lucky." "Yeah, if this Kanjigar guy was once the greatest, then I doubt Bular could ever get his hands on you." Talia supported. "The evidence does not just suggest that. Bular is a formidable opponent." Blinky interuppted. "Okay, maybe Kanjigar wasn't all that great." Talia said. "Doubtful. Kanjigar was perhaps the most alert and able of all of the other Trollhunters." The blue one said. "And he was the best, the very best. Many songs and sagas have been written about him." "Yeah okay, you guys are not making this any easier for us." Talia said, not liking where this was going. Toby said. "Uh, I think what my friends here are a little worried about is, if this -" "Bular" the Arrgh said, picking his nose with a toilet brush. "Yeah, I got that. If Bular can defeat Kanjigar-". "Smashed to pieces" Arrgh interrupted again. Jim slid his back down the door taking all of this in. "Then what's going to happen to Jim?" Toby asked. " A most appropiate if troubling, query,Tom." Toby glared at him for not announcing his name right. "Tobais. Of course, we would never expect Master Jim to engage in battle without the proper training. Not at all." Blinky assured him. Toby and Tally picked Jim back up on his feet, "See? Nothing to worry about. How long does the training normally take?" Toby asked. Blinky caculated with his fingers "Decades". "And how long will he last?" Talia asked, putting her hands on her hips. "A day or two." he answered. Arrgh shook his hand 'so,so'. Jim slapped his face. "Are you kidding me?" Talia whispered, pulling his pants strap to her face.

Jim's mother came back with the medicine and knocked on the door. "Jim, I have medicine and ginger ale. Come on out.". "I'm fine. Really." Jim lied. "I'm a doctor. I'm going to treat my own son." Barbara persisted. "I just need a little privacy." Jim stated. "You're worrying me me." she said, and accidently spilled some of her medicine. She reached for the door knob. "I'm coming in." But Jim opened the door without his armor. "Whew, see? All good." he chuckled, walking out the door. Barbara looked in the bathroom and smelled something bad. "Ugh, what's that smell?" she said, walking away. Talia, and Tobes were hiding in the shower behind the curtain with the other trolls all bundled up. Arrrgh took another whiff a Toby. "Stop sniffing me, giant troll dude." He whisperd. "Smell like cat." Arrrgh said. "Seriously man, gross!" Talia whispered.

Barbara got in her car and drove on back to the hospital, leaving Jim without her knowing everyone hiding. Jim and his friends looked out through the windo to make sure she was gone and out of sight. "Whew, that was too close." Talia exhaled. Arrgh walked into the living room, but considering his big size, he was having trouble fitting in the house, it was chaos. "Your cave too small." he moaned, from accidently knocking down some furniture, stack of books, tapes. They help picked up his mess."So, Master Jim, are you ready?" Blinky asked. "We should begin your training immediately." "Uh, it's a school night." Jim making an excuse. Talia listened in on Jim and Blinky's conversation while Toby was feeding Arrrgh one of Jim's vhs tapes. "So, Master Jim, are you ready? We should began your training, immediately." Blinky suggested. "Uh, it's a school night." Jim said. " I assure you, your revelence escapes me." Blinky said. Talia continued listening to the bragging on and on. It was almost as if Blinky was saying that he doesn't have any other choice, and Jim was saying he has responsibilties on finishing school, and having second thoughts about facing the dangers on being the Trollhunter, or fighting this threat Bular. So it reached to Jim's conclusion "I don't want to die". Blinky stared at him with blank expression, then his facial expression turned to humor. "Goodness gracious! Who does?". Talia then had seen enough of this and stepped in. "Uh, yeah okay, Blinky thankyou for coming on such a short notice and telling us everything about this whole Trollhunter business. But I think you and your friend should go."

"What? But . . . Miss Tallia!" Blinky stuttered. Talia spun him around and pushed him with all her strength, dragging his feet across the floor, to the dininig room, and into the kitchen. When he was trying to speak, Talia kept repeating rapidly saying 'no'. She opened the back door and shoved him outside, tripping him down the stairs. She came back into the living room ."You, out!" Talia pointed at Arrrgh, jutting her thumb back . "WAIT!" Blinky halted. "Miss Talia please, you don't understand, the amulet called to him, it is now his. He cannot refuse it, he cannot give it back, it is his until he dies." "And I'm pretty sure none of us don't want that to happen." Talia argued. Blinky tried to get back inside Jim's house, Talia charged and struggled pushing him back. He turned to Jim. "Master Jim, you are now responsible for the protection of two worlds, human and troll alike." he continued. "If you do not keep the balance, evil trolls like Bular will come into yours and wreak havoc." This got his attention and told his friend to 'stop'. Talia listened, releashed her hold on Blinky, and let him in. "You're saying this Bular could hurt people?" Jim concernly asked. "Like you" Arrrgh cleared, pointing out to him. "Not helping!" Blinky yelled, leering. "What's he talking about?" Jim asked. "With the amulet in your possession, Bular will seek you out, and you will face him one way or the another." Blinky explained. This making Jim more scared than ever before, if what he says is true then he could possibly get killed. "Maybe what Jim here need is a little more time to process." Toby stepped in. "You laid a lot of heavy stuff on him tonight." Blinky held his chin and thinked, then agreed. "Fine, Fine. We shall return tomorrow then to begin your training." "Awesome sauce" Tobes gave the trolls a thumbs up.

Talia and Tobes showed them the back door to the back yard, and Toby gave Arrrgh more vhs tape for the road. "Moral Weapons five and six." Toby said, tossing them into his mouth. "Alright, now come on. You gotta go before someone suspects anything." Talia said. Arrrgh struggled to get through the door again, as they helped give him a push. Blinky turned to see Jim stareing at his amulet still looking afraid as ever. Blinky walked up to him and said "Master Jim, if I may . . . Destiny is a gift. Some go their entire lives living existences of quiet desperation, never learning the truth that what feels as though a burden pushing down upon our shoulders is actuall a sense of purpose that lifts us to greater heights." he continued. "Never forget that fear is but the precursor to valor, that to strive and triumph in the face of fear is what it means to be a hero. Don't think, Master Jim. Become." Jim looked at him smiled at his awesome speech. Giving him a boost of confidence. "Would you at least consider?" he asked. Jim came up and giving him fist bumps on all of four fists telling him he'll give it a shot.

When they managed to get Arrrgh outside, he peeked over the fence making sure there was no human in sight and jumped over. Blinky turned and wave at his new human friends goodbye and took his leave. "They're pretty stealthy." Toby said. "Yeah, for bunch of big guys." Talia said. "How's that? I bought you a night." Toby said. "You?" Talia turned her head. "I did the heavy lifting." "Well Jim, looks like you got your wish. You wer always saying you wanted something more and a life of adventure. I guess this is it." He shrugged walking back inside. Talia and Jim followed right in as Jim closed and locked the door.

Talia came back home to her room lying back on her hammock still thinking about what happened tonight. Magic amulet, talking trolls, real living actual myths here in Arcadia. This was all too much to take in. But the weirdest thing about today was seeing that woman standing behind the counter with a black aura. Probably just an optical illusion or a hallucination, or maybe something more. She took out her father's pendant and studied the lions face, thinking it might have something to do with that lion she met in her dreams. Talia shook her head telling herself that this is crazy and whatever it was, it's not real. She reached for her lamp, turned off the light, and went to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Silver Lion

Chapter 4

Talia opened her eyes, looking up at the dawn lit sky finding herself lying ontop of the soft grassy ground, in the forrest. The very same place where she had met that lion. She then felt something big, heavy, and warm on her waste. Talia lifted her head up and saw her lioness friend resting it's head ontop her waste. She opened her eyes realizing Talia awake. She lifted herself up and let out a big yawn. Talia got up from the ground and searched the area incase there weren't any of those shadow monsters around. "I'm back?" she said herself, before turning to the silver lion. "Why or what am I doing here?". The lion looked at her, leaving her nothing but silence. She stood up and turned her head towards the trees where a path is shown, indicating her to walk down there. Talia looked back at her confused and back at the path. The lion moved down toward the road and Talia pursued.

As they walked alongside each other through the woods passing every tree, so far they haven't seen any disturbances yet. Talia clinged gently onto the lioness's shiney silver fur to keep her from getting scared. The darkness of the forrest was making her a bit paranoid. When they saw a light ahead at the end of the path, they came out and find a green field, with daisy's and dandelions, and a bunch of fireflies glowing in the air. Talia took a good look on what she was seeing and recognized this place was once her and her family's camp site. She walked up closer to get a better view, and turned back to the lioness. "Is this . . .what you wanted to show me?" she asked. The big cat did not respond, as she walked up beside her. "Not much of a talker are you?" Talia said, petting her head. She turned back to the fields taking in all the scenery again. But then something over the horizon caught her eye. A blue ball of fire was flying right towards them at high speed. As it got closer, it shined bright so bright it was blinding them. Talia started become more afraid. She crouched down and held on tightly to her lion hoping to be over soon. But then the light dim down. Talia turned and slowly opened her eyes, and when her vision came back, she finds a blue, glowing, ghostly looking troll. He was wearing a suit armor similar to Jim's, he was about the size Arrrgh, has bull shaped horns and a nose ring. The lion walked up to him, Talia whispered calling her to come back. She worried knowing that trolls eat cats, even though he maybe a ghost. Talia feared he might hurt her. But instead the armored troll reached his hand and gently petted her head.

Talia got up and looked at them totally confused. It was almost as if these two knew each other. The armored troll turned towards Talia, making her startled backing up. But when she got a good look at him and spotted the amulet on his left chest, and then realized Blinky mentioning something about a troll who was killed in action with Bular; and the previous Trollhunter before Jim. "Kanjigar?" she asked. Before he could say anything. The alarm from her phone went off, waking her up.

All day at school, Talia's lack of sleep from having that dream last night gave her a hard time to stay awake. She had dark circle in her eyes to prove it. Talia walked outside to the school yard with her head down and lunged over. While she was having difficulty focusing what's in front of her she accidently bumped right into somebody."Tally?" she looked up to see Jim right before her. "Oh hey, Jim." she exhaustingly greeted with a smile. "You look terrible, didn't you get enough sleep?" he asked. "Yeah, you look like a vampire, but not the good looking kind." Toby agreed. "You're . . . no prize . . ." Then suddenly, Talia fainted, and fell right into Jim's arms. "Whoa, okay, let's get you to the nurse." Jim stated, as he put her arm around his neck and help carried her all the way.

As they arrived at the nurse's office, they helped put Talia on the bed, and the nurse checked her condition. "Well she doesn't seem like she's sick or anything." she said. "I guess our option here is to let her rest, until she's ready to get back on her feet again." "Don't you think it's best that we call her aunt?" Jim asked. "That won't be neccessary." Talia said, over hearing them, trying to wake up. "I just need a couple hours of sleep that's all." The nurse checked her watch and looked at the time. "Well school is close to being over, so I guess it won't hurt." she said. "But right now, get some rest Miss Sturges."

While Talia was sleeping, she began to have a dream; a memory of her last moment with her parents. Just like how she remembered it. Talia was in the back seat of the car asleep all cuddled up in her blanket, while her father was driving, and her mother looking out the window. Then the car crashed rolling across the road, and the next thing she knew she wounded up on the concrete hurt, surrounded by flames. The giant shadow loomed over her with it's fearsome red and yellow eyes. When it reached it's claw out to kill her, a silver iron giant interfered, and fought off the monster. Talia's vision was still blurry and couldn't figure out who the two individuals were. The iron giant wounded the beast, and it fled out of sight, and the iron giant came to her aid. "Don't be afraid little one, I am not your enemy." he said. Talia tried to get a good look at her savior's face, but was she too hurt and tired to keep her eyes open. Her eye lids slowly began to fall and everything went dark.

The final school bell ringed, Talia got up from bed on full high alert. "Take it easy kid it was just the bell." The nurse said. "Well now that you're all better, and school has reached the end of the day, I guess it's time for you to go home." "Oh yeah, thank you mam."Talia said. The nurse left her office leaving Talia alone. Talia looked at her hands thinking about that dream she had just had. Was it really all real or just a dream. All her life everyone had told her of what see saw all those years ago wasn't real. But now that there are trolls living in their world then it must be. And whatever killed her parents is probably out there.

Later that evening, Talia had met up with Jim and Toby, and rode their bikes across town. "Your armor activated itself and Strickler saw you?" Talia asked. "What did you tell him?" "I lied saying it was a costume I made for the tryouts for Romeo and Juliet." Jim explained. "And then what happened?" she asked. "He smoked those auditions, that's what happened!" Toby exclaimed. "He even got that chicky doll to notice him." "Chicky doll?" Talia looked at him, cocking her eyebrow. Talia expression turned all wide eye and realized. "Wait you mean Claire?" She turned to Jim and gave him a slap on the back. "Dude, way to go! Keep that up and that girl will be falling in love with you in no time!" "You think so?" Jim asked. "I just got one question here? Why did the armor turn itself on?" Talia curiously asked. "Blinky did say his armor reacts to his emotional state." Toby described. "It probably sensed him when he's distressed." "But I wasn't in distressed back at school." Jim said. As they made their next turn, an expected black troll made an appearance with a monsterous roar. "But I am now."

"Trollhunter. Merlin's Creation . . . Gunmar's Bane!" He growled. "Uh, I think he talking to you." Toby whispered to Jim. "You think!?" Talia whispered. He roared so loudly and slammed his fists on the concrete like a mad gorrilla. Talia took a good look and focused in on this dangerous foe, and noticed a familiar look in his blood thirsty eyes. When he took his first step, his hand was burned by the light blocking his way. "Look! He's afraid of the sun." Jim pointed. They turned and see to the sun going down. "The amulet! Surrender it and I will give you a speedy death." Bular yelled. "Well with an attitude like that, I don't think so!"Talia shouted. They made a quickly pedaled their bike and ran just when the sun had set. Bular pursued them but lost sight of them.

They were hideing behind a truck hidden from view. Toby pleaded to Jim to activate his armor, while Talia peeked through the side watching Bular's next move. He bash one of the parked vehicles and looked under the next. "Geese, the guy is terrible at finding things." Talia whispered. Jim tried to recite the chant on his amulet, but the armor did not appear. "It's not working!" Jim said. Bular was coming their way, Talia quickly moved the boys to the other side to keep him from finding them. "What do you mean it's not working?! Say it again!" Talia whispered. "For the Glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command." Jim said. "Seriously! It's mine to command! I'm commanding here!". Then they heard a big noise from behind and to see Bular with the truck over his head. "Centuries of Trollhunters, and I will have killed two in almost as many days." he said. "He's good at Math!" Toby squeeled. "Go, Go, Go!" Jim shouted, as they fled. Bular threw the truck toward them, but luckily they evaded it before it crashed.

The pedaled as fast as they could through the town, but Bular was still in pursuit and kept throwing every vehicle at them. "I'll tear the flesh from your bones!" he yelled. "I like my bones the way they are. Thanks!" Toby said. Bular jumped in front of them and swung his deadly claws, but missed them by the inch of a hair. They continued to run with Bular chasing them. "Head down to Delancy!" Jim shouted. They made a sharp turn. Then Jim came up with an idea. "Behind Stuart Electronics!" "You know I can't fit there!" Toby complained. "Just suck all that fat in and put the pedal to the pedal!" Talia yelled. They turned behind the building. But gotToby got stuck between them like a sandwhich. Talia turned and saw the chubby boy position and Bular closing in. "Oh, great." She reached for her back pack and got out her pepper spray. "Toby, blind him!" She tossed the weapon to him. Toby got a short noticed heads up, he juggled the red little can in his hand, and was able to catch it. He turned and aimed his weapon towards Bular and sprayed at his face. Bular screamed in pain clinging onto his burning eyes. "Ha, that showed him!" Toby laughed. "You can congratulate yourself later. Now let's get out of here." Tally said.

Jim, Toby, and Talia made it out of town and crossed the bridge when it had reached the sky had finally reached to night. With Bular no longer chasing them, they had stopped to catch their breath. "Look at me, look at me. We're not dead, right?" Toby gasped. "It's okay Tobes we're all in one peace." Talia said. "Oh good." Tobes said, then turned towards her. "You called me fat." Tally scratched her back head "Yeah, sorry, I was all terrified and desperate." "Master Jim! Ha-ha!" They turned to find Blinky and Arrrgh with bushes in his hands. "Bular is trying to kill us! He chased us all over town!" Jim said, as they walked up to them. "And you're still alive. I knew you had potential, Master Jim." Blinky stated. "You have a sweet voice, buy you bring death with you!" Toby complained. "You guys can fight him right?" Jim asked. They all chuckled as if it was a humorous joke. "What's so funny?" Talia asked. "I could not hope to possess the skill to defeat Bular." Blinky said. "What about him? He's big." Jim said pointing to Arrrgh. "Pacifist."Arrrgh answered. Talia dropped her mouth dumbfounded. "Seriously?" Jim complained. "Man, such a waste of a hulking brute." Toby said. "Thankyou." Arrrgh appreciating the compliment. "This is why there is a Trollhunter, Master Jim." Blinky explained. "Arrrgh renounced the violent path ages ago." "Are you kidding me?!" Talia exclaimed. "You guys can't fight and have to rely only on one person?!".

Bular finally catched up to Jim and the others, but eyes were still infected by the spray he ran and knocked over the nearest light pole, and fell. Everyone stared at him awkwardly as they watched him get up, and having a hard time seeing where he was going. "Wow, your pepper spray did a number on him." Toby said. Talia nodded all bug eyed looking at Bular like he was an animal on rabies. "I do not know what this pepper spray of yours is but it must be very powerful." "Uh, yeah, guys while this looks entertaining, I think we should get out of here before he gets his sight back."Jim stated. But unfortunately Bular's eyes returned just in time and spotted his prey just ahead. "Follow me!" Blinky said. "We'll be safe in Heartstone Trollmarket!".

They ran for their lives yet again with Bular hot on their tails. He knocked over the telephone lines creating some spark, and one of them landed infront of Toby knocking him off his bike. "Toby!" Talia cried. But Arrrgh catched him in time and tossed him on his back. They turned to the forest leading them straight to the canals. "Master Jim! Don your armor!" Blinky cried. "I've been trying! The amulet won't listent to me!" Jim exclaimed. "Did you speak the incantation?" Blinky asked. "I've been incating the crap out of it, and it's not working." Jim explained. "Just focus and incant, dude!" Toby said, clinging onto Arrrgh's fur. They reached to the canals, everyone went down, all except for Jim. Talia looked up to find her friend still up there standing alone with Bular coming after him. "Jim! No!" she cried. Talia got off her bike, dropped her helmet, and tried to reach for him, but Arrrgh grabbed her. "But he needs help!" Bular closed in on him and threw a punch, but then the amulet finally came through and his armor appeared. When Jim was flying in the air like a comet, the armor clinged onto him as he made a perfect landing, and the giant sword appeared in his hands.

Bular loomed over the edge of the canals and roared ready to fight. Jim on the other hand didn't think so. "Uh . . . nope." he said, running away. Bular ran in after him and jumped blocking his path. "Use your sword, Master Jim!" Blinky called. "I'll drink your blood out of a goblet made of your skull!" Bular yelled. "Cut him like a meatloaf Jim!" Toby said. "Yeah, slice that mutant bear in half!" Talia shouted. Jim got into defense and prepared for his incoming attack. His sword shined bright and swung his blade, and made a blast of energy blowing them away. "We must work quickly! Open the portal!" Blinky commanded. He reached for one of his pockets, pulled out hand sized crysta, and tossed it to Arrrgh. "The Horngazel" Blinky said. He dropped Talia, drew a half circle on the wall, and punched it, and the wall started to glow and crumble. "Whoa" Toby awed. Blinky called out to Jim "Master Jim! Master Jim, come on!". Bular circled Jim while he was following his pace. "I'm a little busy here!" Jim said. "You are not fit to wield the amulet. I'll tear the armor off you! Along with your skin!" Bular said, as he drawed out his blades. He made his first attack on Jim, but Jim dodged it, and strike. Bular blocked his attack, Jim's sword got stuck, Bular lifted him up holding onto the sword and threw it away. The sword suddenly vanishes, he turned back, but got a surprise attack from Talia's pepper spray. "RRRAAAaaahh, not again!" he cried, dropping his swords clinging onto his eyes again. Talia grabbed Jim and ran for the portal. "Come on!" she said. The portal was starting to close, Toby reached out to his friends, but it was already too late. "No!" They yelled. Even though Bular couldn't see, he could smell the children's fear. Jim's armor disappeared, Bular aimed and threw his swords, but Talia saw this in time. "Duck!" she screamed, she grabbed a hold of Jim and dodged his giant twin blades. Then two giant hands grabbed them from behind and pulled them in.

The children were shaking, freaking out from everything on what had just happened. "He nearly . . . We nearly . . . He almost. . . "Jim stammered. "Almost what? Speak, Master Jim." Blinky said. "He almost killed us!" Jim yelled. "Almost! A very important word. A life of "almost" is a life of never!" Blinky described. They all dropped their mouths dumbfounded. "Why the armor suddenly shut off?" Jim asked. "Master Jim, you are the first human to possess an amulet crafted for trolls." Blinky explained, as he walked. "It's to be expected it's behavior will be . . . unexpected." Then a stack of crystals instantly glowed when he took his first step, and it shined all the way down. "This way Masters . . .and Mistress. This way."

They were amazed on what they were seeing as they continued to walk down the crystal stair way. "Are you sure we're safe down here?" Toby asked. "Indeed. The incantation forbid entry to Heartstone Trollmarket by GummGumms such as Bular, for they are the most fearsome of trolls." Blinky answered. Talia smirked by what he had just said. "GummGumms?" Jim asked. "Scary ones." Arrrgh explained. "Okay, wait, wait. So Bular can't get in here, right?" Jim asked pointing to the ground. "Into Heartstone Trollmarket?" Blinky turned him around and said "No, Master Jim." Everyone looked and saw what was before their eyes. A vast city made of gianormous crystals, the beauty of this place was so mesmerizing by it's shine, there were no choice for words. "This is the world you are bound to protect. This is Heartstone Trollmarket!" "It's beautiful." Talia said, as she took in the whole view.


	5. Chapter 5

Silver Lion Chapter 5

The children could not believe on what they were seeing right before their very eyes. A civilization of trolls living beneath their very feet and a city made of giant crystals. "This is . . ."Toby said. "Yeah."Jim said. "Whoa" Toby said. "Pretty much." Jim said. "It's beautiful" Talia said. "Indeed, it is Miss Talia." Blinky agreed. "This is your home?" Jim asked, amazed by it's appearance. "Trollmarket is home and hearth, and sanctuary for all good trolls. This way my friends. There is much to see." Blinky said. "Dang! And here I thought the only thing underneath our town was dirt and plumbing." Toby said, taking out his phone. They walked through the streets of Trollmarket and started taking in all the sights and everything around them. There were so many trolls that they could hardly even count. "Stay close. Human feet have never graced the ground of Trollmarket before." Blinky warned. "This is crazy! Are you getting this, Tobes?" Jim asked. "Oh yeah. On it." Tobes said, taking a photo with his phone. Talia herd a noise coming from a shop that sounded like a bunch of cats. When she saw a light shaped like a cat's head with X's for eyes she peek through the crowd and learned to regret it after witnessing what she had just saw. Her eyes popped wide open, and covered her mouth feeling like she was about to vomit and walked away. They continued on their tour through Trollmarket, Toby continued taking pictures with his phone and meeting many new faces. "Whoa check it out! Peridot, Topaz, Cassiterite!" Toby identifying the rocks. "Kornerupine!". He looked up and accidently didn't realize he was examining a troll; which he did not appreciate, and nervously walked away. "Your knowledge of minerals is almost troll-like, Tobias." Blinky said, impressed with Toby. "So your kind, you all live here?" Jim asked. "Troll travel from afar to our market to find comfort and remedies." Blinky explained. "You'll find most anything you need and sometimes you'll find what you never knew and needed."

Talia then spotted strange little creatures running around until one of them stopped infront of her feet. And saw that it was a tiny man, a very tiny man that liked one of those little statues in her neighbors yard. "Huh, you're a weird little guy." Talia said to the little creature getting a closer look. It quickly climbed onto her til it reached her shoulder. "Hey!" she said, not liking where this was going. The little guy gently took a piece of her silver hair and rubbed it's face on it like a soft blanket. Talia picked the thing on the back of it's shirt and brought it to her face. "Hey does my hair look like a piece of fabric to you?" She asked, annoyed. Then something pulled and ripped her hair from behind. She screamed and dropped the creature, then saw more that tore some pieces of her hair chuckling. "Why you little!" she yelled. Blinky came to her aid stommping them "Look out! Get away! Get out of here! Vile vermin! Be gone!" making them scurry away. One of them that was holding pieces of Talia's hair spat it's tongue. Talia growled and tried to catch it, but it got away. "What the heck was that?!" Talia yelled. "Gnomes are vermin." Blinky explained. "Pickpockets, scum of the earth! We only tolerate them for their grooming services." "Grooming?! One of them just took my hair!" Talia said. "Hm, very unusual." Blinky said. "They only pick and eat the parasites on the larger trolls. Never have I heard them stealing someones hair before."

Talia tied her pony tail up in hopes to prevent those gnomes from touching it again. Toby came in jumping with excitement "Jim, Jim! Maximum coolosity over there." he said, pointing at the mountain sized orange crystal. "Look at that. It's amazing!" Jim said, amazed. "You can say that again." Talia agreed. "Hearstone" Arrrgh said. "The very life force of trollkind." Blinky explained. "The means to keep us from crumbling to stone and the source of light and sustenance." "Okay that's totally the bomb." Toby said. "What are humans doing here?" They turned to find a large crowd of trolls closing in with unfriendly faces. "Huh, Blinky why are they staring at us like that?" Talia asked. "Fleshbag!" "Puny!" "I think we've attracted the paparazzi." Toby thinked. "Friends, there is no need to be afraid." Blinky told the other trolls. "He is the Trollhun-". "WHAT'S IS THIS?" a blue giant troll, with spikes on his back, a nose ring, and large horns stormed in. "I was just getting to that, Draal." Blinky said. "Human feet have never sullied the ground of Trollmarket before." he walked right into Jim's face agrresively, making Jim back up. "Who are these fleshbags?" Talia stepped in between Jim and Draal, spread her arms out wide protectively infront of Jim, and yelled. "Hey! Back off!". But he glared and growled. "You dare threaten me, little girl?" She didn't cower or back down, she just stood tall and faced him. "Who are you calling a little girl, you big blue ape?!". She poked her finger at his chest. The crowd was starting to feel the tension between those two. "Friends, friends, please, no need for hostiliy here." Blinky said, breaking up them up. "Now as I was saying this boy here is our new Trollhunter." he introduced Jim. Everyone gasped in alarmed, as some of the gnomes cowered. "He can't be the Trollhunter. He's not a troll!" Draal exclaimed, slamming his fists to ground causing them to jump. Arrrgh stepped in and said "Amulet chose." Draal roared and snorted furiously. "Try to remain calm. Destiny is just-" Before Blinky could finish, Toby interrupted and said "Show him, Jimbo!". Arrrgh looked down to Jim and nodded. Jim took out his amulet and recite the enchantation "For power of Merlin-" "Glory" Blinky corrected. "Right, sorry. For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command." Jim said. The amulet shined and the armor appeared along with sword, and everyone was surprised. "Pretty cool, right?" The Gnomes had fled the scene. "A human? Protecting us?" one of the female trolls asked. Then another fainted from taking in all the pressure. "Bushigal!" Draal cursed. "I am Draal, son of Kanjigar and the amulet's rightful heir!". "What?!" Talia asked, her eyes widen but her eyebrows still furrowed. "Uh, you're his son? He's his son?" Jim turned to Blinky. Blinky nervously grinned with his four hands together. "Yeah, I can see how this could be a problem." Toby said. "When my father fell, the honor should have passed to me." He tried to take the amulet, but a blast of energy push Jim, and knocked him down. "Amulet chose." Arrrgh said. Draal got up and said "We'll see what Vendel has to say about this." They walked right passed him and continued on. "Feel free to fetch him. In the meanwhile lots of Trollhunter business to be done." Blinky said. "Draal, wonderful to see you as always." Jim chuckled nervously walking on, Talia glared and signaled him 'I'm wathching you'.

They went into an entrance with a light shaped sword over their heads and passed the hallway with walls made of marble. Jim's armor deactivated itself. "Um, what just happened?" Jim asked. "The amulet responded to your unconcious command, Master Jim." Blinky said. You are at ease, are you not?" "I am, actually." Jim answered. "It senses that. You are beginning to master it." Blinky said. They walked into find a rocky bridge pathway and a large room with pillars and statues of trolls ontop around the floor, and a large doorway with a face. "Whoa, is this a palace Jim asked. "This is 'The Hero's Forge'." Blinky said, causing a loud echo. "What the echo thing really that neccessary?" Talia asked, cocking her eyebrow. Toby went over to the edge and saw an endless deep of darkness. He brought out his phone, Jim held onto the back of his shirt and pushed him, making him scream, and pulled him back. "Don't do that againg!" Toby exclaimed. "Come on" Jim laughed as the made their way into the forge.

Jim took in all of his surroundings and then spotted the statue troll ontop of the pillars. "Wait, are these . . .?" Jim asked, before he was interrupted. "Trollkhunters." Arrrgh said. "Your predecessors, Master Jim." Blinky said. "A line of heroism that reaches back to the age of Merlin." He turned to the empty pillar and pointed. "This is the place of the final repose for Kanjigar 'the courages'. One day there will be a statue of you here, Master Jim." Jim turned to him confused. "One day very off in the future, of course." Blinky assured. "Yeah quick question here?" Talia asked. "Earlier you called Bular a GummGumm? What kind of silly name for an evil troll is that?" "In Trollspeak, 'Gumm-Gumm' means bringer of horrible, slow, painful and thoroughly-calcuted death." Jim and the others turned all wide eyed. "Oh" Talia said. "But to be concerned my friends the Gumm-Gumms were exiled to the Darklands Centuries ago. Only one roams free." Blinky said. "And wants to kill you." Arrgh said to Jim. "Wait, Bular is one of the unspeakably evil trolls?" Toby asked. "Indeed. His father and the rest of their number remain exiled to the Darklands, but they have been trying to escape for centuries." Blinky answered. "Father? Wait he has a dad?" Talia asked. "Then who was his mom?!" "That is a story for another time." Blinky said. "But right now we must began Master Jim's training at once. Step back please." They took a small step back. "A little further Tobias." Blinky said. Toby scooted back a little. "Oh, very well." Blinky pressed a button, then giant blades came chopping down and swinging. Toby and Arrgh moved out of the way, Jim ducked and rolled from one coming his way, and one popping out of the floor, Talia dodged one swinging and the next. "Excellent reflexes, Master Jim." Blinky complimented. "Great, but maybe we could start off easy? Like, you know, with less grindy thing?" Jim asked with his back against the wall. "Blinkous Galadrigal" a voice boomed into the forge. Blinky pressed the switch again and the chamber stopped.

A large elderly looking troll with white hair, goat looking horns with a blue irish looking kilt, with crystals tide to his belt, walked into the forge with his hands behind his back. "Blinkous Galadrigal" he said. "That's your name?' Jim asked, turning to Blinky. Talia smirked and tried not to laugh. "Horrible, I know." Blinky said. "I wish to meet the fleshbag supposedly chosen by the amulet." He turned towards Talia and closed in. "I am Vendel, son of Rundle, son of Kilfred." "Uh . . . Talia, daughter of Adam and Beatrice." He grabbed ahold of her arm and examined her body. "Hmm, not bad, you do look strong, but a bit too thin." he said. Talia did not like the way she was being handled and broke free of his grip. "Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa, what do you think you're doing?!" she shouted holding her chest. Feeling like she had just been violated. "Produce the amulet, Trollhunter." he ignored her. "I thinky I'm the fleshbag you're looking for." Jim nervously chuckled, taking out his amulet. "Amulet chose" Arrrgh pointed. "Hmm. . . So Draal tells me. Ridiculous!" Vendel said turning to Jim. "However the amulet has been known to make ill-fated choices, you know better than most." he turned to Blinky. "What's that mean?" Jim asked Arrrgh. "Blinky trained Trollhunter before." Arrrgh explained, pointing to one of the statues in peril. " Unkar 'the Unfortunate.'" Why is he unfortunate?" Jim asked. "First night out, torn." Arrrgh said. "Like, conflicted?" Jim asked. "No limb, from limb." Arrrgh explained. Making Jim a bit scared. Then one of Unkar's arms fell off from the statue and nearly landed on Toby. "If the amulet chose true the Soothscryer will reveal it." Vendel said. "Please! Master Jim hasn't had even an hour's training." Blinky begged. "Mm-mm!" Vendel grumbled pointing to the floor where the footprints are. Jim walked over and stood where Vendel wanted him. Then a red light was shown with markings coming from the ground, and a large device with horns, red eyes and teeth, emerged. "Behold, the Soothscryer!" Vendel presented. "It will judge your true spirit. Insert your right hand, Trollhunter." "Um, I'm going to get it back, right?" Jim asked, nervously. "That is part of the test." Vendel smirked. Talia glared at him not liking where this was going. "Oh, great. Tobes! Tobes! Come here and help me." Jim said. Toby ran over to help give him a boost. "Okay, Jimbo. But I am not sticking my hand in there." He lifted him up, let Jim stand on his back, and as the Soothscyer activated it's blades spinned and teeth chomped, Jim slowly reached out his right hand, and then it grabbed his hand. Jim screamed in panick trying to get his arm out. Talia ran over, grabbed the back of his jacket pulling him out, but the device released it's hold on Jim, making him land on his friends. Jim checked to make sure he still has his hand "Huh? I'm okay." he said. "Good for you, now could you please get off me?" Talia asked. "Oh, everything hurts." Toby said. "Well? What is it?" Toby asked Vendel. "Hmm . . .Inconclusive." he judged. "Wait, what is that suppose to mean?" Talia asked, asked Vendel walked away. "It means there's never been a human to bear the mantle before. The Soothscryer needs more time to render its judgement." Vendel explained. "Let us all hope you live long enough to see."

After from all the excitement, the children got onto their bikes and headed straight for home. "Oh, what have I gotten myself into?" Jim asked himself. "Um . . . trolls, cool underground city, indigenous gemforms, Heartstone?" Toby answered. "What you have gotten yourself into is total awesome-mania, man!" "Yeah, but the trolls down there besides Blinky and Arrrgh totally hate us!" Talia stated. "Oh, come on it's not so bad." Tobes said. "If I survive." Jim sighed. "You're going to be trained by the best. Blinky is-" Toby tried to finished before Jim spoke. "His last guy got torn limb from limb . . . on his first night!" Then everyone grew silent for a minute. "So, there's nowher to go but up. Oh, no! Looks like you mom's home." Tobes said. He tried to make up a big fat lie for Jim to look cool. Talia slapped him behind the head. "Will you knock it off already?! Geese, let's just go home and get some shut eye. I've had enough excitement for tonight." She said, as she walked home.

Talia got out from taking a nice hot shower and got herself ready for bed. She looked out her window to make sure that monster, Bular, they incountered tonight was nowhere in sight, and dropped her blinds. Talia jumped onto her hammock and texted Jim on her phone. 'You doing okay?' she asked. 'Yeah, how about you?' he asked. 'Still pretty upset with that gnome incident.' Talia said. 'Is it bad?' Jim asked. 'No, they just tore some pieces of it.' she said. 'It's a good thing they didn't ripped the whole thing from my scalp 'cause that would been painful.' Jim then send a laughing emoji. 'You still worried about what Vendal said?' Talia asked. 'Yeah' Jim answered. ' Hey, don't let him or Draal, or anyone get to you. Okay? They're all just jerks.' Talia said. 'You're tougher than you think, remember that.' 'Thanks, Tal. Goodnight!' Jim said. 'Night, Jim.' Talia said. She put away her phone on, covered herself up, and went to bed.

Talia dreamed that she was back at that place where she had met that lion and that troll who she believed to be Kanjigar. She was standing ontop of the fields of green grass and fireflies flying around. She looked to see where her lion friend was but she was nowhere to be found. "You know you still haven't given her a name." She turned to find a blue ball of light beside her, and it turned into the troll she had met last night. "You . . . you're him aren't you? Kanjigar." she said. He nodded his head to answer. "You're Jim's predecessor." Talia said. "Why would you even . . . what am I to you that's so special? Why can't you just help him, guide him, or at least tell him how to take down Bular?" "That is something he must earn, and find out on his own." he answered. "You on the other hand are putting yourself in far more danger than you even realize. Our world has nothing to do with you." "Jim's my friend! I'll do whatever it takes to keep him safe." Talia exclaimed. "And besides that brute of a son of yours tried to smash him." "You'll have to forgive him." Kanjigar said. "I know my son can be rough around the edges, but he wants to do everything in his power to make me proud. " "Sounds like you two had some family issues." she said, crossing her arms. "But you still haven't answered my question, why are you here?" "I've already told you. Our world and your friend's destiny has nothing to do with you. But if you insist on fighting along with our new Trollhunter I advise you to be careful and not too reckles." he said. "Kanjigar, I just peppered sprayed Bular in the eyes twice and saved my friends. I think I can handle it." Talia assured. "True, but it will take more than that to defeat him." he said.

Then the alarm on Talia's phone went off and woke her up from her dream. She slowly got up and rubbed her eyes "Ugh, how many nights am I going to have to deal with this?" she moaned. Talia removed the covers and went to get herself ready for another big day.


	6. Chapter 6

Silver Lion

Chapter 6

Somewhere in the museum of Arcadia, behind the currents of an exhibit filled with wooden crates, a tons of plastic cartons on the floor, and a large project covered in a sheet. A certain Gumm-Gumm had been sitting on the floor pouring cartons of water on his eyes rinsing away the burning pain he had been enduring the entire night. Strickler walked in bringing in another gallon of water in his hands and offered it to him, with a sly grin. "It's rather amusing seeing you like this." he said, as Bular swiped the water from his hands and poured another upon his eyes. "You look like as if you've been crying all night." "I wouldn't be in this position if that gray haired girl hadn't spray me with that little red can of hers." Bular growled. "I could have killed the Trollhunter and taken the amulet." "Killing a human child will draw too much attention and jeopardize our plans. If you really want to free your father, I advise you to be patient and study your opponent." "Your cowardice and deciet digusts me, impure, I respect force." Bular. "And I respect your father, so don't screw it up." Strickler exclaimed.

The next night Jim began his training with Blinkous in the Hero's Forge, while Tobes and Talia were talking. "Strickler came to Jim's house last night?' Talia asked. "Yeah, and get this, Jim believes his mom's got a crush on him." Toby said. "Eww" she said disgusted. "I know right?" Toby said. "Crush?" Arrrgh asked, butting in. "It means really likeing somebody." Talia described. "You know falling in love." "OOooh" Arrrgh understood. He ate whatever was inside of the paper bag Toby gave him and made a disgusting belch. "Ugh, gross!" Talia plugged her nose and fanning her hand from his fowl breath. "Sorry" Arrrgh apologized. "What did you give him?" she asked Toby. "Dander from my Nana's Persian and a couple of hair balls." Toby described. "Mmm, tasty" Arrrgh belched. Talia stuck her tongue out disgusted.

"The Trollhunter lives and dies by three rules." Blinky described, teaching Jim. "Rule number one: Always be afraid." "Afraid?" Jim asked. "Be afraid" Arrrgh said. "Yeah, I don't think that'll be a problem." Jim said. Blinky threw a rock incoming fast, but Jim dodged it in time, as Arrrgh catched it, Jim turned back to Blinky. "See? Fear is good. Keeps us alert. Keeps us on guard. Makes us Viligent." Blinky said, as he threw another rock. Jim dodged it again and the next. "A hero is not he who is fearless, but he who is stopped by it." Blinky said. "Got it." Jim said, all prepared and ready. "Two: An oppenent must be given no mercy!" he said, as he threw another, and more incoming, but Jim blocked them all. Talia was impressed on how Jim was accelerating in his first time. "Always finish the fight?" Jim asked. Then Arrrgh threw Jim at the back of his head with the rock he caught earlier. "Kill" he said, Toby pointed accusing him, and Talia turned glaring at him. "Indeed. The Trollhunter must always vanquish his opponent through death." Blinky explained. "Dude that's harsh." Tobes said. "Ours is an unforgiving world, Toby D." Blinky said. "Hmpf, so is ours." Talia muttered. "Hence, the third rule: when in doubt, always kick him in the gronk-nuks." Blinky finished. "Gronk-nuks?' Jim asked. Blinky stomped his righ foot bringing down a giant scyth blade between his legs. "Oooh, the horror." Arrrgh said putting his hands between his crouch. Talia's eyes popped out wide, weirded out by the third rule. "So basically, you're saying that one third of being a Trollhunter is kicking someone in the nards." Jim said.

"Ah! So the Trollhunter's training begans." The turned to see Draal unexpectedly come in. "I thought the great Trollhunter might accept my services as a sparring partner." He mockingly bowed infront of him. "Part of your training regiment, isn't it?" Talia glared at him. She knew what he was plotting, so she ran up and blocked him "Don't try to decieve us, I know what you're up to." she said. "Now, now, Miss Talia, let's not start a fight." Blinky said, before turning to Draal. "Thankyou, Draal in due time perhaps." "Why wait?" They turned to see Vendel come in above the arena. "I am eager to see you charge demonstrate his mettle." "Jim just started learning self defense, he's not ready to fight!" Talia exclaimed, then turn to Draal and jutting her thumb to herself. "And if you really want to pick on somebody, you have to go through me first." Draal glared and growled at her. "I admire your spirit, little one, but you are not the Trollhunter." Vendel said. "Let them spar!" "No harm in it." Draal slyly grinned. Talia growled, gritting her teeth, muttering. "Ugh, I hate that guy.". "Come along now Miss." Blinky grabbed Talia's shoulder and walked away. Jim ran up to Blinky and asked "Wait, what do I do?" "Hit him as hard as you can." Blinky said. "No,no. I mean, what do I do? I've never hit anyone." Jim said. "Ever?" Blinky asked. "I've never gotten into a fight." Jim said. "In your entire life?" Blinky asked. "All fifth-teen years of it, yeah." Jim said. "You fought Bular, however briefly, and you were glorious. Your blade-work was impressive." Blinky stated. "Those were my chef skills! And Tally was the one who hurt Bular." Jim said. "Yes, but the fight is within you, Master Jim. Trust yourself. One hit!" Blinky said. "One hit and you will be changed forever." He turned Jim around to face his first opponent and walked away. Talia looked back at Jim and put a hand on his right shoulder, and whispered into his ear. "You want my advice?" Jim desparately nodded his head. "Try studying his movements, look for an opening, and that is where and when you will strike." she advised, before walking away.

"Began" Vendel said, as the two warriors got into position and prepared for their first fight. Draal ran in like a bull and then rolled in spinning like a boulder, as Jim dodged his attack. Draal kept spinning with maximum speed as he rolled up against the wall, flew high in the air, and came in hot with a body slam creating a cloud of dust. Jim evaded in time before he landed, but then was caught off guard blinded by the dust, and Draal hit him with a head butt. "Jim!" Talia cried, as everyone cringed at the pain. The attack did a number on him. Jim stood back up on his feet with his sword, he raised his hand to yield , but Draal kept pummelind him to the ground. Draal stepped forwar with Jim exhausted, grabbed him by the waiste and lifted him over the edge of the arena. Talia clenched her hands shaking with anger, but didn't realize her hands were glowing white. She attempted to charge at him, but Arrrgh grabbed the back of her hoodie stopping her. "Let him go!" Toby shouted. "I've waited my entire life to inherit the amulet." Draal said, squeezing the air out of Jim. "I cantwait until you fall in battle." Draal dropped him on the ground and said "I suspect I wont have to wait very long. I you know what's good for, you'll stay down and live, worm." He turned and walked away leaving Jim in shame, mockingly laughed. Talia glared at Draal, enraged by his arrogance. Vendel shook his head and walked away with hands behind his back in disappointment.

"He might be right." Jim said. "What the heck was I thinking? An amulet can't choose anyone. It's an amulet." They reached towards the blue crystal stair case that leads toward the exit. "Jim?" Arrrgh asked. "I understand you're upset, Master Jim, but you've had not a moments training. There's no shame what just transpired." Blinky said. Jim turned with his fists clenched. "Okay. Well, then you were definitely not paying attention back there." Jim exclaimed. "Shame was the only thing that transpired. Shame . . . and realization. I don't know if Draal should be the Trollhunter or not, and I don't care. I just know that I am not." He tossed the amulet down the stairway. Blinky picked up the amulet, as Jim walked away. "Master Jim, despite whatever it is you have doubts about the amulet's choice, it is now bonded to you." he said. He held out his hands and the amulet flew straight back to him. "This a mantle you cannot refuse." Jim dropped the amulet again and walked away. "Watch me." Talia looked down to the floor upset watching her own best give up was heartbreaking. She turned back to Trollmarket thinking about Draal. How dare he talk and treat Jim like that. She knew that he wanted to make his father proud but that was no excuse. So she knew what she had to do even if it kills her.

So she went back and searched throughout Trollmarket asking every troll if they had seen him. "Excuse me, do you know where I can find Draal?" she asked one of the trolls. He pointed his finger out, and she saw him walking into the bar with that arrogant smug look on his face. She resented that expression on his face and went in after him. She quietly, carefully made sure that nobody had noticed her, she watched him grabbed a table and laughed, demanding a drink for his so called glorious victory. The waiter brought him a giant wooden mug and sat it onto his table. "Looks like somebody had a good day." he said. "I just showed that fleshbag who's boss and put him in his place." Draal arrogantly laughed, as he jugged down his drink. "Aaah, it was thrilling, you should of seen the look on his face." Talia became utterly annoyed by his sick twisted arrogance, and became filled with desire to humilate him. She moved quietly and stealthly moved underneath each table getting close, while he was jugging down his drink, Talia spotted a waiter close by with a tray in his hands with tons of mugs filled with beverages ontop, and came with an idea using that to her advantage. As the waiter walked down by with the tray in his hands, she waited for the right moment, and when he came up right where she wanted him, she jumped right underneath the waiter's tray and sent it flying causing a big splash Draal was now all soaked and wet. It got everyone's attention, the whole entire bar burst into laughter. Draal growled at the waiter until he pointed to Talia, before she could flee, she turned and heard Draal's raging roar as he flipped the table. "Uh, oh" she said, and ran.

"Get back here! You puny meat bag!" he yelled. Talia ran through the crowd, jumped on a troll's back leaning over picking up something before Draal accidently crashed into him, she bounced on a another troll and the next, then jumped onto to a giant statue face, then leaped to a nearby building, grabbed onto an open window, and climbed to the rooftop . She spotted Draal still behind and kept on running . Draal jumped ontop the roof and saw the girl up ahead. "You won't get away!" he yelled. Talia jumped from rooftop to rooftop; thanks to her parkour lessons. But Draal how ever was catching up and she was running out of roofs. She had reached to the last building at the edge of the roof, and turned back and saw Draal coming in fast. So she jumped off the building, made a somersault roll and a remarkable safe landing. Blinky and Arrrgh were right in front of her surprised by her big entrance. "Talia?" She looked and saw them, then back hearing a monsterous roar, and took off. "Sorry guys, gotta run!" she said. "Talia! Wait!" Blinky shouted. Draal jumped down from the building and landed shaking the earth. "I'm going to pound you to pancakes!" Draal roared, as he chased after her. "Draal?!" Blinky looked at Arrrgh with his eyes wide. "Quick, after them!"

Talia held on as long as she could, and tried everything she could shaking him off, but there was no end. When she had reached to the point of exhaustion and confusion, she read a dead end somewhere in the allies. Then a giant shadow with horns loomed over her, she turned around and saw Draal. Now there was nothing she could to escape, this stone brute had her cornered and she was trapped like a rat. "You don't . . . want to . . . fight me." Talia gasped. "Really? Then maybe you shouldn't have pulled that foolish stunt back at the pub." he said, coming in with his fist in his hand. Talia became scared and didn't know how she was going escape from this one, but then she felt something growing, burning deep inside her like fire. Draal closed in and was about to hit her with a punch, but then all of a sudden a burst of white light emerged from her body. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" Talia roared. Her power blew and knocked Draal down like a gust of wind. He looked up wide eyed seeing this girl burning like a white flame, her silver hair was flying shining bright radiant like the stars, and her once deep blue eyes had turned pale. She growled angerly showing her teeth like dangerous predator. The girl did not realize what she had unleashed, it was almost as if she had lost herself. She had turned into a ferocious beast, and just before to strike, Blinky and Arrrgh arrived on time. "Tally!" Arrrgh shouted. Talia stopped and snapped out of her trance. The white aura that surrounded her had disappeared before she passed out. Blinky and Arrrgh went around Draal; still sitting on the ground freaked out, and came to Talia's aid. "She . . . has magic." Draal said, bewildered. "Draal, if you don't want to end up in the strong hold, I suggest you leave." Blinky warned, holding Talia in his arms. They carried Talia through Trollmarket still unconcious. But what was unbeknownst to them was,Vendel, had been watching them from the side lines. He stroke his long goat beard on what he had just seen and grew curious about this girl.

The next day, Talia was back at school in detention with Senior Uhl, doing her homework while he dozing off on his desk. Talia looked at him on how pitiful he was, then out the window thinking about what happened last night. The last thing she remembered was almost getting killed by Draal, and ending up back in her room with Blinky and Arrrgh. They had told her and asked that if she knew anything about her gift, but she did not remember any of all that. Now she wondered this could be a connection to her dreams with that lion somehow. She felt and heard her phone vibrate from inside her hoodie's left pocket and got a text from Toby and read. 'Emergency! Steve is after Jim! Out in the school yard.' Talia jumped out of her desk, slammed the door open; giving Uhl a wake up call, and ran across the halls to the school yard. When she got outside, it was already too late the fight had started.

Steve was swinging his fists trying to hit Jim, but he hasn't even landed a single one on him. Talia watched Jim dodged and run from his attacks surprised on how he's still standing, until Steve hit him with a cross hook. Talia was about to charge in ran right after Steve, but then Claire showed up and stepped between them. "Leave him alone, Steve!" Claire said. But he ignore her and pushed her aside instead. "Claire!" Jim worried, but Toby and her friend caught her. Steve laughed and said, "Good thing your mom's a nurse." He was about to hit him, but Jim step forward and hit him with an uppercut punch knocking him out along with his tooth. "She's a doctor actually." Jim corrected. The crowd cheered, Toby congratulated him, and Talia smiled for his triumph. "Dude, you did it! And without even kicking him in the gronk-knuts!" Toby said. Steve moaned trying to get up, Talia came over to him, and when he woke up and realized. "Looks like Jim has finally put you in your place, worm." Talia loomed over him with a glare "But I on the other hand told you not to mess with my friends." she said, finishing him with a kick in the face.

After school, Jim, Toby, and Talia went to Trollmarket they were about to go find Draal, but then Talia heard a call from the allie. "Miss fleshbag" she turned and saw Vendel in an empty allie. "A word." he said. She looked back to her friends and told them to 'go along ahead'. Talia walked over to Vendel with her arms crossed and said, "What do you want you old goat?" "I would prefer you call me Vendel or Master Vendel, those are your only options." he said. "Pfft, you maybe the leader of this world, but that doesn't make you my master, so don't expect me to listen and follow your rules." Talia said. "Now what do you want?" "Do you remember that little skirmish last night you had with Draal?" he asked. His question had now got her attention. "You saw me doing that weird light show?" she asked. "Yes" he answered. "Do you know what that was?" she asked. "No" he said. "And that is why I'm asking you." Vendel said. Talia looked down for a moment, then shooked her head and said "I'm sorry . . . I don't remember anything from what happened last night. I had no idea I could even do that." Vendel looked away, stroking his beard curiously. "Come with me" he said.


	7. Chapter 7

Silver Lion

Chapter 7

The next day after Jim demanded a rematch with Draal, he accepted his challenge, and went back to training with Blinky. But instead of doing anything exciting in the Hero's Forge, they were hitting the books, learning about Troll history. "For centuries the troll and human world's stood separate and in peace, divided by bridges that acted as doorways between our realms. But the Gumm-Gumms wanted to devour all of mankind." Blinky contined reading his textbook. "They were lead by Gunmar 'the Black'. The rest of troll kind fought against him, culminating in the great Battle of Killahead Bridge, the portal to Gunmar's Darklands. After many moons good triumphed over evil, and our Great Trollhunter, Deya 'the Deliverer', locked Gunmar away and exiling him to the Darklands, and sealed the Killahead Bridge with the sacred amulet. After we tore it apart, stone by stone. We left the old world in search for peace. We stowed away on a ship called the Mayflower, just a handful of us and some gnomes we brought along for companionship and nouishment. Finally, we arrived in a strange exotic realm." "New Jersey" Arrrgh said. "We kept walking." Blinky continued. "Eventually, we came across a new Heartstone, and we realized we found a new home . . . under Arcadia." Then there was a loud sound of snorring. Blinky put his book down and saw Jim the only one sleeping wich irritated him. He went up and slammed his book infront of Jim's face giving him a wake up call. "Lo siento, Senor Draal! No me mates!" Jim shrieked. "The training of troll history might seem like a minor duty, Master Jim, but-" before he could say anything Jim spoke "Sorry, I pulled an all-nighter studying for my Spanish Comprehension exam and my brain is muy gooey." Jim explained. "I don't know. I guess I thought if I'm facing Draal in a week, my training would be a little more. . .active." "Yeah like when is he going to learn Troll-kwondo? Or Rock-itsu?" Toby asked. "Before one fights, Toby D., one must understan why one fights." Blinky explained. "For these precious early steps will decide whether a young Trollhunter will become a Deya 'the Deliverer' . . ." "Or Unkar 'the Unfortunate." Arrrgh finished. "Well, tomorrow, my Spanish exam is with Senor Uhl 'the Unforgiving.'" Jim said. "My main concern is for my immediate future." "A-ha! But, to learn what will happen in the future, one must only look to the past." Blinky said, as he handed Jim the book. The weight of the book was so heavy Jim could hardly lift. "I recommend A Brief Recapitulation of Troll Lore by the venerable Bedehilde. Volume on of forty-seven." Blinky said. "Okay, but if I don't pass the exam, I'm grounded and I can't be the Trollhunter." Jim said. "Sorry, Blinky, but the amulet chose me, and now I have to lives to keep up." Arrrgh looked around and then realized their one person short. "Where's Tally?" Arrrgh asked. "She's with Vendel." Toby said. "Vendel?" Blinky asked. "Yeah, when she told us about her incident with Draal, Vendel had been giving her some check ups." Jim said.

At the Medical Center of Trollmarket, Tally was sitting on the table with Vendel putting a stick in her mouth. "Aaaah-aaah". "Hhhm, your health seems to be just fine." he said. "Did you have any strange symptoms happening after from that mysterious outburst?" Vendel asked, removing the stick from her mouth. "No" Talia answered. She then thought back about some other weird things she had been dealing with. "But . . ." "But?" "Well before all of this, I've been having dreams about a lion with silver fur and when ever I see people, some of them were covered in black auras . . . . and I'm not sure what it means." Vendel turned away and stroke his beard to think. "Hhmm, very interesting.". "Are you sure you know nothing about this, Vendel?" Talia asked. "As I told you before, no." He turned around and looked at her. "Whatever your gift is, I would advise that you to train in the Hero's Forge with the Trollhunter, it may help you discover more about you abilities ." Talia got off the table and said "So you're telling me to go train in a gym build with death traps, and scythes with my friend?" "Yes, is that a problem?" he asked. "I was beginning to think either you're trying to help us or trying to get rid of us." Talia said, with her arms crossed. "Well if don't want to, then I guess we're done here." Vendel said. Before he could leave the hopital room, Talia stopped him. "Wait . . . Alright I'll do it. But it's only for Jim." she said. Vendel turned and smirked by this girls attitude.

After her check up was done, she recieved a text from Jim and read 'Hey we got a Trollhunting mission at a troll's place named Bagdwella.'. 'What's the trouble?' she texted. 'Rogue Gnome' he texted back. Talia remembered her first experience with the gnomes when they pulled and took some of her hair. She swore if she had ever found those tiny pointy head freaks she pound them to jelly. 'I'll be there in a sec.' she texted back. "If there's any chance it's one of the same gnomes that took my hair, I am going enjoy squeezing the life out of that thing." she said to herself.

Talia arrived at the place where Jim and the others should be, then heard a loud ruckus, she walked inside and saw her friends, and then there was music playing. She spotted the gnome coming out from behind the socks playin his miniature guitar. "He's trying to distract us! Hold on to your valuables." Blinky said. Toby ran up to the gnome clapping to the beat of the gnome's rythm. "Why? He can't be that bad." he said. The little fella dashed and swiped Toby's belt. "Well, atleast he didn't take my Nougat Nummy." Toby said, pulling out his favourit piece of candy. But then the fast little gnome snatched it from his hand. Toby growled furiously and said "We need to catch that gnome." The boys were back to back, Talia was outside of their ring and looked for when the gnome will strike next as it menacingly chuckles running around in the room. "Over there!" Toby pointed. "Oh, over there!" Jim said. "No, over here!" Blinky said. "Right here." Arrrgh said annoyed, pointing the devious creature on his head. Everyone tries to catch it but no matter what they do the little menace always gets away. Talia tries to catch it herself when it went underneath Arrrgh as he lifted his foot. "Really Arrrgh?" she sighed. "Pacifist" he shrugged. Then the gnome came back and picked a piece of hair from Talia's head. "Ow!" she cried, holding her head. She spotted it on the counter waving her hair in his hand as it spat his tongue. Talia gritt her teeth and growled. This was the second time this happened, and now she's starting to get mad. She pounced on the rat and caught it right in her grasp. It tried so hard to break free, but then it paused when he saw Talia's eyes turned to cold blue ice. "I'll teach you some manners!" she growled. "Yes, kill it!" Bagdwella said. Before Talia could take her revenge Jim intercepted. "Talia, no!" The gnome broke free and whizzed by Jim and swiped his amulet. "Oh, no. Where's the amulet?" he checked his pockets. They turned and saw it in the gnomes possesion, laughing menacingly. "Oh,no!" Blinky said. The gnome dashed and went underneath a dressor. Arrrgh pushed it aside with his finger, revealing the gnome went into a small size rat hole.

"Jim, why'd you do that? I had him!" Talia yelled. "You were going to kill him!" Jim exclaimed. "It pulled out my hair!" she snapped. Jim reached into the hole and said. "Come back, combe back." But then nothing happened. "Shouldn't the amulet be coming back to me right now?" Jim asked. "Dolefully, that rule only applies if you've rejected it." Blinky said. "When thieved, it's another story. If you have read A Brief Recapitulation, you would have known that." "Some Trollhunter you are." Bagdwella huffed. "Jim, 'The Baby-handed." Toby was eating something from the basket, she saw him and grabbed it out of his hands. "Master Jim, press on. This is not the moniker you want." Blinky said. "What else can I do? I can't fit in that hole." Jim complained. Then Blinky thought of an idea. "Hhm, currently." he said. "Bad idea." Arrrg said. "No Trollhunter has ever lost his amulet. We'll need time to procure the Furgolator." Blinky said. "Furgolator?' Talia asked, confused. "What's a Furgolator?" Jim asked. "Uh, not to worry about anything, Master Jim." Blinky said. "Tend to your studies. We'll watch over the hole. Tommorrow, you'll return refreshed to deal with this, uh . . . little problem."

The next day at school, in the class of the unforgiving cruel world of Senor Uhl. He wrote with his chalk on the board screeching while one of the girls was reading her project out loud in the class. "Little did they know, Maria was juggling two hombres." she continued. Jim was studying between his school work and the book Blinky bestowed upon him. Talia was drawing the lion she had been thinking about from her dreams, wondering if she'll ever come to her again. Steve on the other hand drew a doodle with a broken leg crying, and at got Jim's attention. Talia looked up and saw this. "You broke my tooth. I'm going to break your life. When I'm throught with you, you're going to wish you were dead." he threateningly whispered. Jim didn't care, he just went back to his studies. But Talia snapped her pencil, because that boy just don't know when to quit. When the girl had reached to the end of her sentence, she had said something wrong, and made Uhl break his chalk. "What kind of heart did Maria have, Miss Wang?" he asked. The girl held on to her notebook nervously and choked. "Uh, a heavy heart. 'Pe-do-so.' Or is it-" "I would hope to hope Maria wouldn't have a pedoso heart, because that means 'gassy'." Uhl said. Most of the stundents chuckled, Talia glared at Uhl making the girl cry. "Did Maria have a gassy heart, Miss Wang?" he asked. "Of course not Senor Uhl!" she cried. "Uh-buh-bum! You were trying to say 'pesado.' A heavy heart." Uhl said, as he grabbed a box of tissues. "And it is a heavy heat, Miss Wang, to tell you have not shown the slightest comprehension of basic Spanish. If you can't finish the exam, I have no choice but to fail you." She ran out of the classroom crying. "Mary!" Talia got up from her desk, before she pursued her, she turned to Uhl with an angry expression. "You see, this is I'm talking about!" she pointed out. She went out the door and went to go look for Mary. Uhl's serious face softened. Snapped again by the same girl.

Talia found her in the girls bathroom crying behind one of the closed doors, she knocked it and said. "Mary, don't let that stupid jerk get to you. I thought your presentation was great." "But I slipped and it costed me a grade." she sniffed. "You were nervous, and he was making it worst scratching that dumb chalk board of his." Talia said. "Look, if it makes you feel any better, I'll help tutor you, and the next time you show your next presentation, you can rubbed it in his face." "Really?" she sniffed. "Yeah, and you'll pass." Talia assured. "Now why don't, we clean you up. I'll walk you to our next class." Mary unlocked the door and came out with her face a little red. "Thanks, Tally." she said, hugging her. "Anytime" Talia hugged back.

Talia went to the school yard to meet up with her friends, then she spotted Jim talking with Claire, and it did not look good. She seemed pretty upset. She went up to him right after she walked away including Toby. "What happened?" Talia asked. "I missed our rehearsal last night." Jim answered. "Oh." Talia said. Then she put her arm around his shoulders and walked. "It was just one missed rehearsal, don't worry next time you'll make it." Her sharp ears heard a familiar devious chuckle, she turned and gave Steve a terrifying death glare. It scared him so much he nearly wet his pants.

Later at night, in the museum of Arcadia Oaks the security guard walked through the halls with his flashlight keeping a sharp look out for any intruders. Then he heard a noise from behind, he looked and pointed his flashligt revealing just big relic, a statue. He shrugged it off and continued walking. But what he didn't know what was behind it. Bular stepped out and watched the night guard walked out the door. He went into a closed exhibit covered in curtains, and met up Strickler. "We build it here? Right under their noses? Are you a fool?" Bular asked, with disapproval. Strickler turned and faced him "Haven't you ever heard that the best hiding place is in plain sight-" he was cut off, when Bular grabbed him by the throat. "Don't patronize me, impure." he said. "We want the same thing Bular, I know you don't like waiting, but it's taking some time for the changelings to acquire the remaining pieces." Strickler said. Bular released him from his grip and went over to one of the big box crates, removing the lid and pick up a piece of stone. "My father has waited for centuries." he said. "The Age of Gunmar is at hand."

Meanwhile in TrollMarket, Blinky showed the young heroes their machine called the Furgolator. "Remember how I told you all Trollhunters must start small?" He asked, removing the sheet revealing what he was talking about. It was goldend iron with some carvings and with pipes on the top. "Full disclosure, I'm a little worried how I let you talk me into this." Jim said. Blinky activated the machine it was steeming, gears were shifting and grinding, pipes were steaming and whistling, and the containment opened. "Still bad idea." Arrrgh said. Blinky told Jim to step inside and when he did, he asked. "Wait a minute. So, how does me going into this thing help me get a gnome out of a hole?" The doors closed sealing Jim inside. "If a gnome won't come out, the Trollhunter must go in." Blinky said. "Wait what?' Jim asked. "Ha hah, don't worry. We often use the Furgolator to compress mineral. "Blinky said. "And now for the Antracite" He grabbed the giant metal tweezers and picked it out of Toby's hands. "Hey!" he whined. "But you've done this a few times on flesh and bone, right? Right?" he asked. Blinky placed the rock in the slot and started the machine. "Not exactly" he said. "Not exactly?" Talia asked. "That's not good eneough." But Blinky didn't listen. "But I'm not concern." "Well, that's because you are not the one trapped in this thing." Jim said. The machine started runnning with steam. "Nothing to worry about, Master Jim. We work best under pressure." Blinky said loudly. "I can't see anything!" Jim shouted, beginning to cough. "Why is there so much smoke?" The machine was running crazy. "Come on, guys you gotta get him out of there!" Toby shrieked, trying to open the doors. Blinky went into assist, then turned to Arrrgh "Don't just stand there, Arrrgh!" Arrrgh stepped in and used his strength to open the Fugolator. Jim stepped out of the machine but instead he was all tiny. "Looks like it didn't work." Jim said, not realizing his size yet. "Hope you guys have a plan B." "Uh, Jim" Talia said. He looked up and find his friends all giants. "He's like an action figure." Toby said. "The Furgolator function perfectly!" Blinky laughed, as lifted Jim in his hand.

They went back to Bagdwella's and armed Jim with a pin for protection he ever have to fight that gnome. "Real subtle. 'We've got to start small. Deal with a little problem.'" Jim sarcastically said. "This is a huge problem! I can't be shrunk! I have exams to take! I have sinks to reach!" "You have a gnome to catch. Now, onward, Master Jim, and fetch your destiny!" Toby went over to the trap he built made of a box with a pencil lifting it up and a candy bar as bait. He took out the pencil along with the bait. He ate the candy and offered the pencil to Jim. "Mmm . . .Your sword, my liege." Jim irritatingly took the pencil and poked one of his fingers making him yelp. Talia smirked and said. "Had that one coming to yah, Tobes." Jim grabbed his shiel and walked into the rat hole. "Oh, one last thing to know when dealing with a gnome, Master Jim, and this is a dire of importance: Do not touch its hat." Blinky called out to him. "What happens if someone touches it hat?" Talia asked. "When one touches the hat of a gnome, they go mad." Blinky answered. "Well I'm already mad at that thing for touching my hair." Talia jutted her thumb. "Why are you always so sensitive about your hair?" Toby asked. "I already know that answer." Bagdwella intercepted. "A girl's hair is obvisouly the most main importance of beauty and looks. Something you men could not possibly understand." They all looked at her weird in an awkward silence. "What?! No! What? I just don't like don't like it when people touch my hair, especially gnomes." Talia explained. "The reason why is I''ve always been picked on because of my hair's natural color when I was a kid. Bullies pulling my hair, everyone calling it grandma hair, and teasing me to dye it." "Die?" Arrrgh asked. "Not die as in death. I mean dye as in change color." Talia corrected. "Oh" Arrrgh said. "Why don't you?" Bagdwella asked. "Because, this hair represents who I am. And I reminds . . . Why am I telling you this? It's none of your business!" Talia said. Then suddenly they heard a ruckus coming from inside the rat hole, possibly a slight chance Jim fighting with that gnome. "Jim?!"

There were sounds of glass breaking and clinging that had been going for a few minutes and it was not delightful. "That doesn't sound favorable." Blinky said. But then everything stopped and there was nothing but total silence. "Why hasn't he come out?" Toby concerningly asked. Toby stepped back fearing that his friend maybe dead. But then there was a sound. The gnome had step out of it's hole along with Jim point his sword to it's back. "You summoned the armor and caught the gnome!" Blinky applaude along with Arrrgh. "Well played, Master Jim!" "Thankyou, thankyou. I don't want to forget the little people." Jim said. He smacked the gnome in the back ordering it to move. "Expediant and good humor!" Blinky complimented. "Oh, my hero!"Bagdwella said. Toby snatched and trapped the gnome in a bag. "And what about this shrinking stuff? When does it wear off?" Jim asked. "Yeah, Jim's got a big exam tomorrow, and if he fails, no Trollhunting." Talia said. "Don't worry. All he needs to do is sleep it off. And he'll be as good as new." Blinky informed, and turned to Jim. "You have done well, Jim 'the gnome slayer.'" Toby played the gnomes mini guitar, sitting next to the gnome struggling to get out of the bag. "He was so young. There was so much music left in him." he mockingly said. "Now all there is left. Is to take care of it." Blinky said. "Wait, what? Take care of it?" Jim asked. "Rule number two" Arrrgh said. "Always finish the fight." Blinky finished. "And by 'finish' . . ." Jim said. "Deaden. End. Le coup de grace." Blinky explained. Arrrgh took his thumb and crossed it across his head. Jim paused in an unbelivable expression.

Later, they took tiny Jim and the captured at Toby's house still thinking on what to do with this creature. It snored sleeping peacefully in the bag on Toby's bed. Jim sat on a pillow still deep in thought on whether to kill this thing or not. "Who are we kidding?" Jim groaned. "I can't kill this thing. I nearly had dinner with it. Neither of us are killers." Toby looked down and depressingly confessed. "I am." Talia and Jim looked at him. "You?" Talia asked. "Detective Snuggles." Toby continued. "Nana warned me not to leave my chocolate lying around. But it was just after Easter, and I had pulled in a bigh hual. I never thought that cat would find my stash. But he did." He sniffed. "And by the time I found him, it was too late." "Death by chocolate. There are worse ways to go." Jim said. "That wasn't the worst of it." Toby interjected. "I never had the heart to tell Nana, so, to cover up the murder, I used to eat his cat food just to make it look like he was still around. And I liked it." He cried. Talia looked at Jim weirded out by Toby's secret. Jim yawned and said "Don't beat yourself up, Tobes. We both had a big day, and now's not the time to deal with this." Jim said. "Yeah, I'm gonna go back home and hit the hay, see you guy's tommorrow." Talia said, leaving the room.

The next morning, Talia was in Senor Uhl's class sitting at her desk looking at the clock wondering where Jim and Toby are. Talia worried if Jim's absent he might fail the exam and that could be a very big problem. Uhl looked at the time on his watch calling out his name, but no response. "How disappointing . . . but not entirely unexpected. Moving on." But then Toby jumped in with his laptop in his hand. "N problemo! Jim's here, virtually." He grabbed a stool and set the computer up putting Jim on screen. "Hola! Sorry I couldn't be en escuela, Senor Uhl, but I'm sick en casa." Talia raised an eyebrow now completely confused. "Which is fitting, since I'm doing mi comprehension presentacion on Pon de Leon, who muerto-ed from a great illness." "Hey! muerto-ed is not a word!" Steve pointed out. "Shut up, Steve!" Talia snapped, making him fidget. "Talia, please." Uhl said. "I'm curious to see where this is going. Continue, Mr. Lake." "Ponce de Leon, one of the most famoso Spanish conquistadores is best associated with . . ." But then there was a sound of a vacuum running on the background. ". . . the fuente de la juventud, the Fountain of Youth." Jim finished. "What is that horrible noise?" Uhl asked. "Uh, construccion. Uh, remodeling. A minor intrusion. Un minuto, Senor Uhl." Jim said. grabbing the screen. It slammed right into his face. Talia got up from her desk, walked up to Toby, and whispered in his ear. "Toby, what is going on?" "Jim's still tiny." He whispered back. "I thought Blinky said that effects from the furgolator was suppose to wear off." she whispered. "I think it works differentely on humans." Toby whispered back. Then there was a sudden dramatic response coming on screen. Talia turned to look at the computer seeing Jim all freaked out while he was still trying to finish his presentation. "Ponce de Leon joined Columbus in the New . . .New- What in the world?" Talia turned and leered at Toby, and whispered. "You guys didn't kill the gnome?" Toby sheepishly smiled trying to look innocent. "You seemed distracted are you okay?" Uhl asked Jim. "I'm fine, I'm fine!" Jim responded. "Uh, he sailed las carra across the oceano . . ." "Mr. Lake I don't follow." Uhl said. Talia saw the gnome on screen and attacked Jim. Everybody watched moving their head down on the side while Jim was still talking. Talia chewed her nails looking around the classroom nervously, because if anyone saw this it could mean the exposure to trollkind. Talia thought she needed to turn off the computer, but if she do that Jim would fail the class. So all she could do is standby and watch what happens. Toby grabbed the computer, "Just some techinal difficulties. No problemo." he lied making imitating beeping noises. Talia closed in and check Jim on screen. "Tiny Jim, are you alright?" Toby whispered. "Do I look alright?" Jim yelled. Jim knocked out the gnome and came back on screen. "And that'll be all for my presentacion." "Actually, by my count, you are threes words short, Mr. Lake." Uhl said. "If you cannot finish the exam, I'll have to fail you." "Uh, in that case, there were muchos problemas in the Nuevado Mundo, the New World! Uh-" The gnome jumped on Jim again while trying to finish his prescentation, Toby blocked the gnome on screen, for a minute Jim was finally able to subdue the gnome and finish his presentation. Eli stood up from his desk and applaude "Spectacular!" Talia sighed in relief, nobody suspects a thing. "Very, very, informative, Mr. Lake. C- plus" Uhl said. Jim thing started to feel pain in his body and his head started to swell up. "Fine. B-minus." Toby and Talia's bugged out realizing the Furgolator's spell is finally wearing off. "Jim! Jim, what's wrong?" Eli worried. Talia quickly slammed down the laptop's screen. She looked back awkwardly at the class and said "Well show's over." She hand the computer back at Toby and whispered "Go check on Jim."

Later at night, Talia came back home talking to Jim on her phone in her room hearing to most unexpecting and shocking news ever. "Palachump, is playing for Romeo and Juliet as your understudy?!" she asked. "Unfortunately, yes." he answered. Talia remembered him warning Jim that he plans to ruin his life and they guess this is what they were talking about. "Ugh, that sick little piece of crap. When I get him alone he's gonna lose another tooth." Talia growled. "Tally no, you can't do anything to him." Jim said. Talia paused not understanding where he's going "And why not? You know he's just using her to get to you." "I know but, the play means everything to Claire. And I'm still stuck with training for a rematch Draal, Trollhunting, and school. So I'm afraid to say this. You have to keep yourself in control." Talia stood silent and thought for a moment. Steve is the most pompous scum she had ever despised so much, but Jim was right. Even if she hurt Steve it could ruin his chance with the girl he likes. "Alright, I'll play by your rules for now. But if I ever see him try to make one move on that girl he's dead." She said.


	8. Chapter 8

Silver Lion

Chapter 8

Talia was standing in the tall green grassy fields again feeling the breeze of the wind in her hair. She then saw and recognized a silver shine moving through the tall grass and her lioness friend had revealed herself to her. Talia kneeled and scratched the sides of her face giving her affection. "I haven't seen you in the past couple of nights. Where have you been my friend?' she asked. The lion nudged her head against Talia's face cuddling her with a pur. "Still haven't figured out a name yet?" Talia turned and saw Kanjigar from behind with his arms behind his back. "Kanjigar, what are you . . ." Kanjigar interjected "Or better yet, have you pulled yet another one of your tricks on somebody." Kanjigar knew about the stunt she pulled on Draal back at Trollmarket's bar. She stood up with a guilty expression and said. "Oh. You know about that?" "Of course I do, I'm a ghost!" he said. "I told you not to be reckless and you did'nt heed my warning." "Your son hurt and humilated my friend! I was only teaching him a lesson." Talia snapped. "Well you certainly taught him a thing or two." Kanjigar sarcastically said. "But that doesn't change the fact that you almost put yourself in harms way and got yourself killed." "Hey it's not my fault your kid has a bad attitude problem." Talia snapped. "And you don't?" he asked. "I've seen how you treat your enemies. And from what I can tell you are just as arrogant and rutlhless they are." "I am nothing like them. They are the ones that pick on the weak and defenseless, my friends, I pick on scum my size or bigger. Big difference." Talia said. "I am not talking about who you're fighting, I am talking about how you are fighting." Talia stood silent for a moment and looked away with her arms crossed. "I maybe a troll, but I do know there are other ways of resolving things without any means in an act of violence." Kanjigar explained. Talia turned back to him. "Tell that to Bular." Kanjigar eyes widen hurt by her words. Talia realized her mistake and apologized. "Sorry." Her lion rubbed it's against her waist purring. Talia put her hand on her head and stroke her fur. "It's just, what I do, it help me kept going, and I just can't stand people who are like that." she explained. "I understand, I was once felt the same way when I was young." Kanjigar said. "Thinking the only way to defeat my enemies through force. Look all I'm saying is that if you continue on this path, you might end up regretting it. Understand?" he asked. Talia looked at him and nodded. He smiled and looked over to her lion "I think you should give your companion here her name now." Talia turned to her lion and crouched down taking a good look at her, thinking on what would be the perfect name, and then finally reached a decision. "Dawn . . .her name will be Dawn." The alarm from her phone woke her up from her dream, and another new day began.

In the Hero's Forge Jim had been training with Blinky to prepare for his big rematch with Draal. A statue poppled out of the floor and breathed fire, Jim dodged it and dodge another with spikes and blocked it with his blade. "Always be afraid. Fear heightens your sense. Fear keeps you alive." Blinky said. After Jim remarkably made a complete success, and made a flawless victory pose, but then got hit from behind and made a face landing. "Arrogance gets you killed." Blinky finished. "Yeah, I'll have to remember that." Jim groaned. Blinky helped picked him up and said "Draal, however, does not fear you. That will be his weakness not you. You'll be wetting your armor. That will be your strength." Jim continued blocking more incoming attacks from the practice dummies. Talia work on her martial arts forms, as Toby did his own little work out. "Oh, yeah. Looking good, Jimbo. Feel the burn." Toby cheered, doing his squats. "If Jim's getting fit, I'm getting. Don't want too be big." Arrrgh looked at his hand confused. "Not that there's anything wrong with being big. But if I'm gonna have Jim's back, I got to be nimble." Toby explained as he started jogging. Talia stopped when he heard this "You, watching over Jim's back?" Toby continued jogging with Arrrgh by his side. "Yeah, well duh." he said. " "Oh Please, do you even know how to fight?" Toby tripped and fell, and looked at her. "Uh, no." Talia went over to help him back on his feet. "If we are going to have Jim's back looks like I'm going to have to teach you self defense. Talia said. Jim threw his sword at the last dummy and finished his traning. Then Draal came in with his own personal trainer, walking past them. "Look . . . it's training" he arrogantly chuckled. "Cute" He then said something insulting in their language. But then Talia spoke in their tongue ' _And you a stupid brute._ The Duo turned their heads surprised. "Blinky's been tutoring me." Talia explained. "Oh and by the way. _You got a very tiny butt."_ Their mouths dropped now completely dumbstruck. Her friends laughed at the looks on their faces, except for Blinky and Jim. "What did she say to him?" Jim whispered. "You don't want to know." Blinky said. "Anyway, let your fear keep you alive. Let his arrogance lead him astray. Defeat him . . . . and you'll make history."

The next day, the whole entire history class went on a field trip to Arcadia's History museum. "I know contemporary might leave you to believe European hisory is full of swords, socery and scandal. I assure you the truth is far more interesting, and there's no better place to start than Renaissance Era Pottery." The lady in purple said. Everyone moaned and sighed not thrilled of this. "Since we have limited time, Ms. Nomura, perhaps it's best if they explore the museum on their own." Strickler suggested. Everybody's frown turned upside down and they all rushed in, except for Talia; she was squinting her eyes, starring at them. "Miss Sturges, is everything alright?" he asked. Talia shook her head and stuttered "Uh . . .ye-yeah . . . Oh look at the time! Better go catch up with my friends." She ran straight into the museum. Nomura looked at Strickler confused, as he shrugged. But they didn't realize that she was hiding behind the side of the doorway. Talia hadn't seen Strickler at school for awhile since he's always been so absent lately. When she first got her powers, it was seeing people in a strange and eerie looking aura, and Strickler and Nomura had that same aura when she saw that woman at the dentist's office. They turned and walked straight for the entrance. Talia slipped away without any of them suspecting a thing.

She went upstairs to the European exhibit to find Jim and Toby, but instead she found Claire with Steve looking at a dress in a glass case. And When he saw Jim without Claire looking he was doing a make out pose. Talia glare at him clenching her fists, but she remembered what Jim had told her. So she thought of another solution and walked up to them. Steve had his eyes closed making smooching faces. "Enjoying yourself Palachump?" His eyes bugged out and looked to see Talia with her fists on her hips, and Claire looking at him weirdly. "Come on Claire, this guy's nothing but a jogstrap." she said, taking Claire's hand walking away. Jim and Toby smiled and silently rooted for her. "Way to go, Tal!" Toby grabbed and shook his shoulder's "Come on, now's your chance." They followed them to the other part of the exhibit.

Jim got his chance to talk with Claire for awhile talking about the play and how strick her parents were about her grades. Tally and Toby watched from the sidelines enjoying the scene. "Nice job, with that sneak attack back there." Toby said. "Now she'll never talk to him ever again." "All in a day's work." Talia said. "At first, I thought it was an alien. Definately no human." They turned to find Eli telling everyone his supernatural conspiracies. "It's some sort of monster!" "Come on, give it up, Eli." one the girls said. "No, no! This time, I have photographic evidence." They went over and saw the photo. Toby thinked fast and took Eli's phone. "Hey, Eli, can I see your phone real quick?" Toby asked. I took a good look at it before he deleted it. "What the heck? You deleted it?" Eli complained. "Darn these stubby little fingers." Toby said. "If it's any consolation, I believe you." Eli walked away with his head hung over his shoulders. Talia looked at him in pity. Eli was always the outcast and the easy one to prey. "Don't you think we should tell him?" Talia asked. "No, you've seen how far he goes to uncover a supernatural conspiracy. There's no way he can keep a secret." Toby stated. "You're right." Talia sighed. "Come on, we have to tell Jim." Toby said. They went over to Jim to tell him the urgent news. "This had better be good guys." Jim said. "We got a serious problem." Talia whispered. "What kind of problem?" he asked.

Later in the evening, the team went to the sight where Eli took the picture of the road killed creature. "Voila" Toby said. "Not Voila. Goblin" Arrrgh pointed out. "Goblin?" Jim and Talia said. "Ruthless tricksters." Blinky explained. "Petty street vandals who leave a wake destruction. This is not good." "Well justice is served. We should get back and train for Draal." Jim said. "Oh no, Master Jim. Where there is one, there is many." "How many?" Talia asked. "Hundreds, thousands, or to say the least." Blinky said. "And as for the unfortunate soul who ran over this small fellow, may Skaargen's swift blade have mercy!" He spat his two hands, rubbing them together and pledged his heart. "And why is that?" Jim asked. "Naturally, goblin payback is ten-fold." Blinky described. "Wait, so these things carry on a huge vendetta against someone, when one of their own is killed?" Talia asked. "A delivery driver left a sticky not on Eli's house." They turned to Toby. "Wait for it. The goblin might have gotten squashed by the delivery truck!" he said, showing the note. "Hey, let me see that." Jim took the paper and read it. "If the driver's returning at eight, we need to be here, too. I'm not gonna let some poor guy become goblin chow on my watch." "Master Jim, answering the call!" Blinky praised. "So cool. Stakeout! Toby chuckled. " Past my curfew!"

They hid behind the bushes out of sight, waiting for the delivery truck to arrive at Eli's house. "It's already nine o'clock. Ugh." Blinky said, impatiently. "It appears the only thing being delivered is failed expectations." "Most delivery truck drivers come in late, Blinky, just have a little patience okay." Talia said, as she pulled her hoodie over her head, looking through her binoculars. Jim picked up his walkie talkie and contacted Toby "Hey, Tobes, all clear. How's it going over there?" "All good in the hood, Trollhunter. except I can't stop moving." Toby answered, jogging. "My love of stakeouts is being ruined by my overwhelming need to obtain swag. Other than that nothing unusual." "Just keep a sharp eye out there, Tobes." Talia said. Then the delivery truck had finally arrived. "War Hammer to Trollhunter, the package has arrived. Jim, Talia, and Blinky saw the truck stopped and parked by Eli's house, and saw the delivery guy come out wearing his headphones humming to the music, as he slid the door open, picked up the box and accidently broke whatever was inside of it. "Seriously. He wears headphones while driving? That's stupid." Talia said. "Let's get him out of here before it's too late." Jim said. But then Blinky saw something. "Wait! His fate may already be sealed." The lights across the street were going out. "They're here. Look!" Jim and Talia saw this. "No, I'm not gonna let an innocent person-" Jim was going to stop them, but Blinky pulled them back and grabbed his walkie talkie. "Great trouble! There appears to be far more than I had anticipated. Stay down and don't make a sound." He whispered. "In their frenzied state, they'll attack any in their path. The goblins glowing yellow eyes pierced through the darkness as the gathered anround. The delivery guy delivered the box to Eli and went inside. Jim was now growing more worried. "But that's Eli! He's in my class" he said. "Was in your class." Blinky said. One of the Goblin's took out the last remaining light, and jumped out from hiding running like a pack of invested rats. Everyone sought to believe they were after the delivery guy, but instead they gathered around piling on the truck chewing and tearing it apart. "What the heck?!" Talia raised an eyebrow. "Unexpected. Their dispute isn't with the driver at all, but rather the transportation that had flattened their kinsmen." Blinky said. Jim was starting to get scared, Blinky realized this and warned. "Ooh, you must not be afraid, Master Jim." "I thought the first rule of trollhunting was always to be afraid." Jim said. "Trolls, not Goblins." Arrrgh pointed out. "Goblins crave the pheromone of terror, an odor you appear to be releasing quite generously." Blinky said. "Wait! Does too much. You mean, they can smell fear?" Toby asked through the walkie talkie. "Oh, no! I can smell it, too." "Then stop, or they will eat you.!"

While the goblins were finishing off the truck, one of them smelt something in the air, and turned to where Jim, Talia, and Blinky are hiding. "Perhaps I made my point to loud. Run!" Blinky screamed. Jim, Talia, and Blinky jumped out of the bushes and made a run for their lives with the goblins chasing them. Arrrgh grabbed Toby and swinged him on his back and pursued them. The goblins chased them like a pack of hungry wolves down the street. Jim's amulet sense him in distressed and activated itself. Jim noticed this when he picked it out of his back pocket. "Now is not the time for armor!" Blinky said. "It'll only slow you down!" Talia looked back to see Jim in armor weighing him down. "You think I didn't try this?" Jim shouted. "Your armor is responding to your emotional state!" Blinky said. Talia turned and saw Jim in his armor weighing him down. "Try to think something else. That'll help distract you from your fear!" Talia shouted. "It's so heavy!" Jim panted. The goblins grabbed him and pinned him down on the ground. "Jim!" The goblins were about to devour him, but then Arrrgh jumped in just in time to save him and swung him on his back. They made a right turn on the street with the goblins on the chase. Toby's chubby tracker beeped. "Oh, my gosh! I just got a free t-shirt!" he cheered. But then a goblin snatched his arm pullinng him down. "Get it off, get it off, get it off!" Toby screamed. The goblin clinged onto his wrist while being slammed on the concrete. But it lost his grip and somehow got his tracker around his neck. "No! My points!" "Your points? Our lives, Tobes!" Jim shouted. "We need to find a refuge! Trollmarket is too far." Blinky said. Then Toby came up with an idea. "Cut through these backyards. We'll get to my house. Come on, come on, come on!" When they made thier next turn Talia tripped and fell. Her hood slipped off revealing her silver hair. When she looked back and saw the goblins coming straight for her, they all hit their breaks and stopped, her friends turned around and saw this. The goblins eyes were popped way wide open and their jaws dropped frozen for whole one minute, and then started screaming, running for their lives, and disappeared into the shadows. Now everybody just stood and looked at each other confused.

They went into Toby's house and discussed about the goblins in his room. "Okay, what the heck just happened back there?" "You tell me!" Talia said. "Not sure" Arrrgh said. "Indeed, it was . . . as if they were afraid of you, Miss Talia." Blinky pointed to Talia. "Afraid?" Talia asked. Toby came over to her side "Maybe there was something your on face?" Toby asked. Talia looked at him in a irritated and bonked him on the head. "Ow!" he yelped. "I'm sorry to say, Master Jim, but your town is infested with goblins." Blinky grabbed and shook Jim. "Okay, trolls, I can deal with because, at least, trolls stay underground." Jim said. "But goblins? I don't even have the bandwidth to-" "Jim, we gotta get my Chubby Tracker back." Toby interjected. "As long as they've got it, they're just gonna get stronger and faster." "We almost got killed, I am somehow am repellent for goblins, and that's all you can think about?!" Talia exclaimed. "Must find den." Arrrgh said. "Yes, and eradicate them at once before they seek their revenge." Blinky said. "Revenge?" Jim asked. "On you three." Blinky pointed out to them. "Blinky didn't you see what just happened back there? Talia made them run off scared! You even said they were afraid of her. " Jim stated. "I do not know what I saw. But I do know that if don't act soon they won't stop without being satisfied with vengeance." Blinky said. "So we find their den. You must have some idea." Jim said. "Haven't the foggiest." he said. It could be anywhere." He heard a familiar chatter coming from a doll house and he looked in through the window and saw the gnome. "Great Gronka Morka! What is the gnome doing in the dollhouse?" Blinky asked, unpleased. "Toby-pie? I don't recognize that voice. Who is that?" Toby's Nana called out. "It's a friend, Nana! I do have more than one!" Toby called back. "No, you don't" she said. "Did just forget about me?" Talia asked confused. "You told me to take care of the gnome, so we're taking care of it." Jim explained. "This is in direct violation of rule number two!" Blinky said. "Whatever happened to always finishing the fight?" "And rule number one is to always be afraid, except if you're around goblins 'cause the smell fear." Jim argued. "Your rules make less sense than algebra, which - oh, yeah- I have in a few hours, unless I get eaten by goblins tonight." He sighed and said. "I'm sorry. I'm no good understanding your rules. I'm not ready for Draal, Bular, or finding a stupid den of goblins." Blink came over and put a hand on his shoulder. "As your trainer, I can only advise not make your decisions. I understand. You're human. You're learning the rules in your own way." he said. "Arrgh and I will seek out this den, wherever it may be. You just focus on your studies. I seems life has thrown enough at you already." Talia looked at her friends, and back at Blinky with a smile. "But a gnome in a dollhouse?" He shouted. Then they sheepishly grinned.

The next day, the kids were in gym class playing dodgeball against steve's team. "Dodge this, Lake" Steve threw the ball at Jim. Jim ducked and rolled and dodged another. "Hey come on Tobe aren't you gonna get your head in the game or do I have to do this all myself?" he asked. "Why bother taking another step? My chubby traker's gone. Life's so empty when you're not racking up points." Toby pouted. "Well it can't be any worse than getting eaten by a pack of blood thirsty goblins." Talia pointed out, dodging a ball. "Yeah, good point." Toby said. Jim caught the ball Steve threw and throw it back. Steve catched it and threw in two more red rubber balls, Jim dodge them and every ball performing awesome stunts which caught the coach's attention. Talia dodged a ball with a back flip, threw a ball and hit one of the players on Steve's team. "Well at least your guy's training is paying off." Toby said. But then got himself hit by incoming rubber balls, and one of them hit him in the grok-nuks making him squeel. "In your face! You're out, Domzalski!" Steve insulted, as he threw another at Jim. Jim dodged it, but it ended up hitting Eli, Jim rolled and grabbed two balls and aimed knocking out two of Steve's team mates. Eli and Talia gave him a high five. But then Steve came in with a mockingly clap and said. "Pretty good Romeo but kiss your Juliet -." Talia aimed right for his face and knocked him out cold. His biggest mistake was closing his eyes and letting his guard down. Coach, Talia and Jim gathered around him checking the state he was in. "Shake it off, Palachuk!" Coach said, and blewed his whistle ending the game. Claire walked in and saw them. "What happened?" "I killed him with my dynamite throw that's what happened." Talia chuckled. Jim looked at Talia in a weird expression. "What?" she grinned. "We were in the middle of the game."

The boys went into their locker room and changed back into their original clothes. "Oh, come on Jim, admit it you enjoyed what she did to him." Tobes said. "Yeah, but she promised me she wouldn't do that." Jim stated. "Steve had it coming when he let his guard down. At least she didn't knock out some of his teeth." Toby said. His phone vibrated, he picked it out of his pocket and checked it out. "Whoa, I earned a wind breaker!" he said, showing it to Jim. Jim looked at the map on the app, his face lit up, and found the solution to their problem. "Toby, do you know what this means?" "Yeah. If it's not too warm and not too cold, I have the perfect cover-up!" Toby said. "No. A goblin must have the Chubby Tracker on him!" Jim said. "We know where they're going. This could lead us straight to their den."

Later at night, Jim, Toby and Talia raced to where the location to where the goblins are hiding. "Shouldn't we be telling Blinky and Arrrgh?" Toby gasped. "By the time we get down to Trollmarket, the Chubby Tracker battery could be dead, and then we'll never find the goblin den." Jim explained. "Besides, we're just gonna scope it out and then report back. Easy." "Yeah, think of it like a spying mission." Talia said. By the time they stopped and reached their destination, Toby pointed out to the goblins climbing on the rooftop of the museum. "The museum? Their den's in there?" Talia asked. "Let's go tell the others." Jim said. "Get down!" Toby whispered, pushing them down and hid in the bushes. They saw the museum lady, Nomura, walking into the entrance of the building. Talia could still could see her aura and it is as dark as ever. 'Why is it whenever I see people they have that stuff around them?' she thought. "It's the museum lady." Jim said. "She has no idea it's infested." Toby said. "At any moment, they could strike! Or worse . . . lay eggs in her ears." "I don't think goblins can do that." Jim said. "Anyway, we need to get her out of there immediately." "Good idea, but cover your ears." Toby said. "Come on Tal-." Jim turned around and find her missing, and then looked over the bushes and saw her running towards the museum. "Tally!" Jim jumped out of the bushes with Toby behind covering his ears.

Talia went over to the side of the building and found an unlocked window and opened it. "Tally!" Jim catched up with Toby. "What were you thinking taking off like that? What are you doing?" " Finding away in." she whispered, pulling her hood over her head. "This is breaking and entering." Toby stated. "No, it's-it's a breaking and rescueing." Jim clarified. "Relax. We're just gonna get her out of there, and then let Blinky and Arrrgh handle the rest." Jim climbed up and stepped inside, Talia came in after him, and then Toby enden getting himself stuck. Jim and Talia grabbed his arms and pulled him in. "Geese this place gives me the creeps with the lights out." Jim said. "Yeah, kind of feels like being in a horror movie." Talia said. They walked out of the room, in the hallway and found a light in one of the exhibits with opera music playing. They saw the pink dressed lady, Jim quickly react and grabbed Toby and hid behind a small white stone pillar, and Talia behind the one next to them. She and Toby looked over and watched take out a strange picular artifact from a crate, while Jim was making up a lie, she moved and was hidden from point of view. But they were able to see her shadow being cast from the light. They saw her shadow turning, sheding her human skin, into a monster. Then she appeared revealing her true self. Toby gasped freaking out, Talia's eyes were wide in shock. She was a tall and pink, with long black hair that reach waiste, bright green eyes, and she was wielding round twin blades. Toby started stammering starting to becoming scared. "What's with you?" Jim whispered. "The-the face." he stammered. "Chill out Tobes. You're gonna wake the goblins." Jim said. "Jim" Talia whispered tilting her head. "Look at her!" Jim raised an eyebrow. He looked over and saw what they were talking about, and hid back down. "She's a troll!" he said. "Mm-hmm." Talia said. "She's a troll!" Jim said. "Mm-hmm." Talia said. They heard a wound and spotted a goblin sniffing to the source where Toby was reaking with fear. The boys moved to where Talia was hiding. "Ow" Talia said, her toe being stepped on. "Sorry" Jim apologized. "She has to be some kind of weird half-breed." Toby said. "Half-breed? She turned from human into troll. She's a shapeshifter!" Talia whispered. The goblin was closing in from behind. Jim covered Toby's mouth to keep him quiet, and just when they were done for, the goblin walked away. Jim sighed in relief. Then suddenly a vibrating sound came from Toby's phone. Toby grabbed it and tried to silence it. "Turn it off! Turn it off! Turn it off." Jim repeated. "I'm trying, I'm trying!" Toby repeated.

Talia saw the troll coming their way with a sinister chuckle. "I knew I smell the stink of teenage flesh." They all screamed,Talia palm heeled strike her in the face, and ran. But they all accidently tripped in the unopened exhibit. The scary lady walked in rubbing her nose. "You're going to wish you hadn't done that." she said. Talia jumped on her feet and got into her fighting stance. Jim took out his amulet and summoned his armor and sword. "A human Trollhunter? That I've never tasted." She said. "Then let's see how you like the taste of Daylight." Jim said. "Let's take her down!" Talia exclaimed, as they charged at her. Talia came in with a jump sidekick, but Nomura moved out of the way and grabbed her in a choke hold and her hood slipped off. Nomura's eyes widen recognizing her face as if she had seen someone like her before. Jim swung his blade releasing Talia from her grasp. But Nomura dodge it in time and scratched his face with her claws. "Jim!" Talia came in and hit her head with a round kick and then a punch. Toby tried to assist but Nomura kicked him out of the way and bumped into the goblin that has his tracker around it's neck. "You . . . Give it back!" he pounced and grabbed it, rolling across the room. "Give it. These points are mine." Jim continued swinging his sword to hit her, but she dodged his attacks like it was child's play. She tripped him with her hair, he got up and swung his blade again. When she had thought he'd missed her, she looked to find one of her finger's cut. "Ah! You'll die for that." She threatened. Nomura took out her blades and attacked Jim, pushing him across the room. Talia looked up and grew in anger watching this sadistic assasin over powering her friend. Her aura was beginning to shine, her blue eyes turned pale, her nails turned into claws, and her dentures sharpened. She dashed light a bullet and clawed one of Nomura's thigh's and kicked her right across the room. Jim looked at Talia with an unbelievable expression. "Tally?"

Nomura looked up and saw the girl coming screaming in like a wild animal. She dodged and swung her blades, but Talia caught them . Nomura used her hair and grabbed her neck like a whip and swung right into a stoned hard object covered in sheets knocking her out. Jim came at her, but she kicked him right into the wall knocking down one of the banters covering him up. She cackled in belief of her own victory as she approached the boy, and removed the banter. "This was fun. Now, you're history." She said, kicking his sword out of the way. "All of that fancy armor, a feral girlfriend, and you're just a scared little boy." Nomura was about to finish him, Jim saw the goblin behind her, he grabbed the banter and said "Arrogance gets you killed!" Jim pulled the banter slipping Nomura off her feet, falling straight towards the goblin squashing it. It's marker rolled, three more goblins came in staring at her with retaliation. "No, no" She crawled back. One of the goblins grabbed the marker and marked his face with a mustache and growled. " Waka chaka!" "No, it wasn't me! No! No!" she screamed, as they piled on her.

Talia woke up with a big major headache and tried to shake it off. Jim and Toby went over, helped her up, and moved her. "Let's get out of here!" Jim said. They ran outside to their bikes, but Talia was still hurt from the fight. So Jim carried her on his bike and pedaled. "Holy- What the-? Her face! Did you-?" Toby stammered. "And that bridge! There were troll markings on it!" Jim said. "Bridge? Who cares? There's a shapeshifting troll witch!" Toby exclaimed. "They're walking among us, Tobes!" Jim said. "They can be anyone!" "This is a total game-changer." Toby said. "We need to tell Blinky and Arrrgh!" Jim said. They failed to realize the sounding of alarm sirens. The police pulled over infront of them with their lights flashing. "Hands up." the police said. Jim and Toby got off their bikes and raised their hands, but forgot that Tally was on his back. Jim crouched down and lifted her up. "Our friend she's hurt!" "On the ground now!" Officer said. Jim gently put Tally down, and layed on the ground with his hands on his head along with Toby. "What did we do?" Toby asked. "Dispatch, we have the teens that match the description of the museum break-in. One need's medical attention." one of the officer's said. "You're coming with us." The other said.


	9. Chapter 9

Silver Lion

Chapter 9

While the boy's were caught in the police department, Talia was sent to the hospital checking her head injury. Strickler helped convince the police drop all charges against them. Barbara picked up the boys, while June sits by her niece lying in bed. "Good news is you niece just has a slight bump in the head, nothing too bad." The doctor said. "All she needs is some sleep and some ice to calm down the swelling." June didn't hear a word he just said. She continued to stare at Talia lying there the same way when she lost her parents. What was she and her friends doing behind her back? How could she do something like that? "Talia, what have you gotten yourself into?" June asked. Talia remained unconcious since her the fight with Nomura. Her mind drifted off into a dream, a memory. Her father was playing an ocarina to her when she was just a little toddler. They were outside sitting in the back yard in the middle of spring with the sun shining down upon and giving them warmth. The song that Adam was playing to his daughter, had a lovely peacful melody. Whenever Talia listen's to him play it brings her joy and serenity. He told her stories that this song has been played in his family for generations, and that they are descendents of a great knight who battled the forces of evil. The pendendant; their family heirloom, was his symbol, representing strength, courage, loyalty, and justice. He also told her that knight rescued a lion from a giant fearsome serpent, and that lion had become his devoted follower.

Then there were other parts of her memories that were being shown. She remembered always walking into her father's office working on his board with pictuces and strings attached lining them up. Adam was a cop, a dectective, working on a case of some disappearances that have been going around in Arcadia. Talia was now starting to her time spending with her mother. Always painting and drawing, having fun. Beatrice was more than an artist, she was also a criminal scientist. Whenever her father brings her to the scene of the crime or where the last person was before they disappeared, and bringing home the evidence to solve their case. There was also the time when her aunt,June, came over for a visit. They were having adult conversations she was curiouse about, but when her father catches her spying he always puts her in her room.

Talia then started to open her eyes waking up with a huge massive headache. She stood up and find bandages wrapped around her head, and laying in a hospital bed. June looked up and find her niece wide awake, and embraced her in a hug. "Oh, thank goodness you're alright. And also-" she slapped across her face. "What were you and your friends thinking breaking into the museum? All that for a chubby tracker?" Talia remembered going into the museum with Jim and Toby finding the goblin den and that shapeshifting troll. "Toby was desparate." Talia said. "Well breaking the law for a friend is not worth getting you in trouble." June exclaimed. "When we leave this hospital, you are grounded until you apologize to Miss Nomura." Talia looked down guilty and sighed. "Yes, Aunt June."

Once they got home, Talia went to her room, covered her hammock with pillows and put a blanket over it to make it look like she was asleep. She removed the bandage from her head and snuck out through the window. But unbeknownst to her aunt had been watching her through the creak of her door. She turned away leaning her back against the wall and slid down to the floor. June looked up to one of the picture frames hanging on the wall of her and Adam standing on the ocean floor. "She's really like you, Adam." she sighed. June got up and went upstairs to the basment and found a box that holds the belongings of Talia's parents. She opened it and found Beatrice's sketch book of her drawings and one of them had a picture of Bular.

Talia met up with Jim and the others at Trollmarkets pub and showed Blinky and Arrrgh the picture Toby took on his phone, and told them everything. "Are you certain?" Blink asked. "Are you unquestionably, unequivocally-". "I'm certain." Jim interjected. "Could be anything." Arrrgh said. "I concur." Blinky said. "Tobia's photographic skills are less than exemplary." "Okay, it's a little blurry! You try taking a picture while hauling butt, mister!" Toby exclaimed. "Do you really think that this is the killahead bridge? The only thing that leads the doorway to the darklands? And what's keeping Gunmar prisoner?" Talia asked, Jim. "There were troll markings on it. I'm pretty sure I know trollish when I see it?" Jim clarified. "And that woman? That shapeshifter. What kind of troll does all that?" Talia asked, Blinky and Arrrgh. Blinky and Arrrgh spoke in the trollish tongue to keep cover. Talia may have started to learn trollish but she knew what they said. "Changelings?" she asked. Blinky spat out his drink and covered Talia's mouth to hush her. Every troll turned their heads toward them when they heard the forbidden name of those creatures. Blinky laughed and chuckled acting like it was a joke. They turned away like nothing ever happened. He removed his blue stone hand from her mouth, and whispered. "Changelings haven't been talked about in quite some time." A troll came in eaves dropping. Blinky noticed him and said. "Do you mind?" "Whatever" he said. Blinky continued. "In the old world, Gumm-Gumms . . ." The troll eaves dropped again. Blinky gave him a serious look to go away. "Fine" he said, as he walked away. ". . .stole our young and did something unnatural to change them. Their sole purpose: to spy on the world above." Blinky finished. The kids looked at each other and back at Blinky. "What did they do to them?" Toby asked. "Nasty business. Very messy." Arrrgh said. "Man, kiddnapping and experimenting on kids. That's evil." Talia said. "These are the very reasons I doubt your certainty." Blinky said, as he walked with Jim. Talia looked down, thinking about Nomura on what her life may have been like before she had turned into one of Gunmar's minions, and can't help but feel sorry for her or the other trolls that have suffered from his cruelty. Toby put a hand on her shoulder telling her to come.

"I know what I saw." Jim said. "These are serious accusations, Master Jim. Without proof, absolute beldam will ensue." Blinky said. "Well, we have to tell someone." Toby said. "This is our city too." "Who? Our court-appointed psychiatrist? They're never going to believe us." Jim said. Then Talia came up with an idea. "But what if we catch one?" Talia asked. They turned to her. "I mean . . . that should be enough right?" Then an unwanted somebody walked in. "Well, if it isn't the piece of flesh I'll be pound into pancakes tomorrow." Draal said. "I'll look forward to your pain and I'll drink to your death." Jim turned to Blinky. "Death? What is he talking about? I thought this was only a rematch?" "To challange a troll's honor can only end in ruin." Blinky described. "Ruin?!" Talia exclaimed. "It's all right there in chapter three of Brief Recap- You still haven't read the book." "Now, hold on." Jim said. "This fight, I don't know maybe we can, um . . . postpone it?" "Postpone, you say? What a trainer!" Draal laughed. "Does everyone in your company forget how to fight?" Talia stepped in right into his face and said. "Don't talk like to Blinky, you stupid brute." Draal growled clinching his fists. Jim grabbed Talia's shoulder and pulled her back. "Tally, please. There are thing that have been brought to our attention." Jim explained. "Things that have serious implications." "No, no, no, Master Jim, shh!" Blinky hushed him. Draal lunged over and said "By Kanjigar's honor, I would have made your death swift and painless,but, for that act of cowardice, I will show you no mercy when I take back wha'ts rightfully mine." He walked away and turned back to say his final words. "Bid farewell to your loved ones, Jim 'the Dead Meat.'" Jim stood still with an unbelievable expression on his face. Talia put a hand on his shoulder and said. "Don't let that guy get to you, Jim."

Later back at the museum, "I'm telling you the truth." Nomura said to Strickler. "The girl was glowing, she clawed one of my legs, and threw me across the room like it was nothing." she snapped her fingers. "Don't be ridiculous." Strickler said. "A human Trollhunter. How ridiculous is that?!" she said. "There are things in this world that don't make since, and those two kids are one of them. " They entered to the unopened exhibit, Strickler pushed the curtains aside, and let Nomura in, but find Bular sitting and sharpining his blade with his forearm creating a spark. She turned back to Stricker for an explanation. "I'm sorry. You've been compromised." Stricler said. Bular pointed his sword at her making her back up in fear. "Please, Bular, spare me!" she begged. "Groveling, Impure?" Bular asked. "You need me." Nomura said. "If you dispose of me, who will replace me? The boy already knows I'm a changeling. How long do you think it will take for him to find out Strickler is one, too?" "Well cross that bridge when we get there . . . without you." Strickler said playing with his pen. Bular roared and chopped down his sword with Nomura screaming and running. Bular knocked over some crates making her fall. Nomura saw a black spiked green glowing ring she acquired and showed it to him. "Wait! I've acquired the Fetch!" "The Fetch? More changelings?" Bular asked. "But we are nearly finished. What good would it be to bring another-" Bular pointed his blade to shut him up. "Be quiet, impure." he said, then turned back to Nomura. "Go on." "Think how proud your father will be to see his legion grow." she explained. "Prepare the exchange." Bular directed, as he withdraw his blade. "In case we're ever one changeling short."

Talia was back in her room swinging in her hammock thinking about Jim's match with Draal. Jim maybe becoming a natural, but he only had weeks of training and he almost got killed by that changeling at the museum. She looked over to her book shelf, went over and pulled a photo album of her and her friends when the were just little kids. She remembered the time when she started elementry school, but she was always alone. Kids made fun of her hair, teasing her, and calling her names. Talia tried her best to control her anger, but when was to the point where she couldn't take it anymore, Jim showed up. He offered her a seat at the table with Toby in class, it was hard for her to believe, but she happily accepts. During her time spending together with them was the best time of her life it was like having brother's. And when one day Steve and his gang came up picking on them, Talia used her skills she had learned in martial arts and beated them up. They all ended up in the nurses office and stayed home for weeks, and she ended up with a three day suspion for it. But now Jim is finally making a stand for himself and there was nothing she could about. All she can do right now is pray and have faith in him. She held her book close and tight to her chest, landed on her knees, and began to sobbing.

When the day had finally arrived for the rematch between against Jim and Draal. Talia looked through the gate at the stadium of the Hero's Forge with the crowd cheering and chanting. Jim came over to Talia and handed her a letter. She turned around, took it, and said "What is this?" "My last words to you." he answered. She looked at it, her hands shook, crumbled it in her hand in frustration, threw it to the floor, and grabbed and shook his shoulders. "You're not gonna die, Jim! You're going to beat him! You're going to win! Don't you dare give your will to me just yet got it!' she cried. She leaned her head against his chest and loosened her grip on his shoulders. "You have to." "Draal, son of Kanjigar, son of Tarigar, Draal 'the Destroyer', come forth." Vendel announced. Draal rolled in with the lights on him and made a big dramatic entrance. The crowd cheered as he showed off with his arrogance. Arrrgh gave him a big pat on the should wishing him luck. "It's time to put everything I've ever said to you to practice." Blinky said. "With a little luck, he'll trip and fall. Now, tell me: rule one." "Always be afraid." Jim answered. "Rule two." Blinky said. "Always finish the fight." Jim answered. "Rule three?" Blinky asked. "About that. I was reading, when the Venerable Bedehilde fought the Hydrabeast, there were no gronk-nuks, but there was a weakness under its scales." "You read the book?" Blinky asked. "So, it got me thinking. Does Draal have a weakness?" Jim asked. "He read the book, he read the book!" Blinky embraced him in a hug. "Books tasty." Arrrgh said. Talia looked at him raising an eyebrow. "Do you guys eat everything?"

"And now, Draal's combatant, James Lake Jr., son of . . ." One of the trolls whispered his mother's name to remind him. "Ba-bu-rah." Vendel announced. "Come forth, human Trollhunter." The gates opened and the crowd booed. Talia furiously yelled, "WILL YOU ALL JUST SHUT UP!" "Tally!" Blinky restrained her. The guards escort JIme to the stadium to face his fierce rival. "Fight from your heart, Master Jim. It's stronger, stronger than any rock." Blinky shouted. The gates slammed down to the floor. "And certainly, stronger than mine." he quietly said. "Prepare for battle." Vendel announced. The crowd cheered andthe fighters got into position. "Here we go. I am doing this." Jim said to himself. "Begin!" Vendel announced.

The floor began to rise, the sounds of the gears were grinding, and when it reached it's peeked, parts of the floor were beginning to move. Draal leaped forward and attack, Jim jumped down and landed on the second floor, Draal came after him, Jim rolled out of the way from his fists slamming the ground. Draal grabbed one of his legs and swung him against the wall. Jim slid down on the narrow pathway, and nearly fell to the bottom of the pit where the machine is running. Draal raised his fists in the air arising the crowd. Talia looked through the gates irritated by his big ego. "That guy's an idiot." she said. Draal jumped and spinned down on the wall to the narrow path, and almost hit Jim. He continued to spin around the ring and when he was about to flattened, Jim threw his blade and stopped him. Draal looked up surprised by him stopping his attack, even the entire crowd was surprised as well. "I never taught him that. Did you?" Blinky asked, bewildered. "He's a natural." Toby cheered. Jim swung his blade and aimed it at Draal again, but he knocked it out of the way. "And there goes that move." Jim said. Draal roared came at him with another spin, and Jim started to run. "Ten whole seconds! He's not dead! That's a fortuitous sign." Blinky said impressed. "Don't jinx." Arrrgh said. "Come on, Jim, take him down!" Talia shouted.

Draal rolled up against the wall and around, then jump untucking himself from his boulder mode, and came at him with a punch. Jim braced himself for an impact, but then all of a sudden he was shielded by a blue aura. JIM!" Talia cried. Vendel was surprised by this, Blinky and the other's looked away in fear. Draal grabbed his leg again, slugged him in the air, and striked him to the floor next to him going up. Jim's side was burning, aching inpain from the last blow Draal inflicted upon him, and when they reached the top he looked up seeing Draal ready to finish him off. The floors moved again and left him hanging. Talia gripped hard on the gates her fingers were giving them a crack as she watched Draal showing off arising the crowd, making his way toward Jim, stepping on one of his fingers, making him fall to the next moving floor. "He's getting killed! Do something!" Toby shouted. He tried to come to his aid, but Arrrgh pulled him back. "Forget being a pacifist! Save Jim!" "He cannot. This is Jim's fight." Talia turned back and said "Well I'm putting a stop to this!" She attempted to rescue Jim, but Arrrgh pulled her back too. "Let go of me!" she struggled.

Draal took the floor that reached Jim and walked his way over to him. Jim saw him coming and kicked him "Rule number three!" Draal yelled in pain grabbing his gronk-knuks with his eyes closed. The crowd grimace after witnessing the pain. Draal opened his eyes but found the boy out of sight, he looked around to find him, but what was unbeknownst to him Jim hiding behind his back. "By Deya's grace, he found it!" Blinky cheered. "Found what?" Arrrgh asked. Toby and Talia's face lightened up seeing their friend still alive. "His weakness! Draal's blind spot!" Blinky explained. Jim took a few steps back and saw a scy swinging down and thought of an idea, so he walked over to it. "You cannot be the Trollhunter! You're a boy!" Draal yelled. " I am the son of Kanjigar!" Jim made it over to where the scy was locked in and said. "And I am Jim, son of Barbara." Draal turned around and spotted him. "And the amulet chose me!" he said. Draal roared in anger, Jim waited for the right moment and heard the scy coming down, jumped out of the way and hit Draal knocking him over to the edge of the stadium. Then everybody gasped by the unexpecting victory. The crowd then began to cheer for their champion, and Draal was now hanging over the edge with a river of lava.

Jim got up limping his way over to his defeating enemy. "Yes, he did it!" Toby cheered. Talia stood in awestruck for a minute and then smiled. "He made it." "It's not over yet. He has to finish the fight." Blinky said. The crowd began to chanting, repeating, 'Finish the fight!". Jim made his way over the edge where Draal was. Draal tried to pull himself up but no avail. Jim summoned his sword and pointed his sword. For the first time ever in Draal's life, he was starting to become more afraid. Jim saw it in his eyes. He lifted his sword over his head brought down his blade, Draal looked away, but Jim didn't follow rule number two. He pierced the sword down in the ground and used it to reach his hand out to him. Draal looked up confused. Why would he spare his life after everything? 'The fight is to the death." he said. "House rules, not mine." Jim said. "Come on, man. Don't make it weird." Draal took his hand, Jim's armor glowed giving him the strength to lift him back up on the stage, but then the crowd started booing. Talia should be angry at these people for their pride and ignorance, but it didn't matter to her anymore because her friend had won and survived. She ran over to Jim and embraced him "Jim!". "Ow, careful, sore now." Jim grimace. "You should have killed me." Draal said.

Jim looked upon the angry, disappointed crowd and walked up to make his stand. "Look, I may have not followed your rules, but neither did the amulet when it chose me." But the crowd still continued to boo. "Right now, over our heads, changelings are in Arcadia." Jim announced. Then everone gasped and their face expressions turned to shock. "What is he talking about?" Vendel asked. Talia stepped in and said. "And they're building the Killahead-!" Blinky rushed in and covered her mouth with both hands and grabbed Jim with his third arm. "Silence the both of you! Say no more." The crowd returned to their booing. "They have a right to know!" Jim exclaimed. "And you have a right to listen! Ours is an ancient race." Blinky said. "It will take time to win hearts and minds." Jim and Talia looked back and saw Draal walking in shame with everyone throwing things at him. "Why are they treating him that way?" Jim asked. "You spared his life, but destroyed his honor." Blinky explained. "He will never be able to show his face in Trollmarket again." Talia never liked Draal for his twisted arrogance and for him being cruel, but for once in her life she felt pity for her enemy.

They walked out of the forge celebrating Jim's survival and victory. "Oh, Praise!" Toby laughed and embraced Jim. "You're alive!" "And sore. Ease up." Jim said. "Just one more minute." Toby said. "Arrrgh, Blinky. . . a word." They turned to find Vendel in a dark hallway. Arrgh and Blinky gave Jim a job well done, and say that they will go out and celebrate feasting on tacos.

Talia assisted Jim walking him home from the battle for his life, and opened the door to his house. "I'm really proud of you, Jim. You won yet another fight." she said. "Thanks, Tally." Jim said. "Hey mom, I'm home. Tally and I are just going upstairs and jump on homework." Barbara reached out her hand waving them. "In here. Guess who brought tea?" Talia raised an eyebrow and looked at Jim. "Oh, not Strickler again." he moaned. They walked into the dining room and saw the human guise troll sitting have tea wih Barbara. Jim and Talia faces turned to shock. Talia saw her covered in dark aura again, and the eyes of a killer. "Wha'ts she doing here?" she whispered to Jim. "Don't you kids have something to say to Ms. Nomura?" Bara asked. The kids looked at each other and decided to play along. "I'm sorry, Ms. Nomura." Jim said. "I'm sorry too, Ms. Nomura." Talia said. "We should've never gone into the museum in the first place." Jim said. "It was wrong and unforgiveable, and we deeply apologize." Talia said. "That's more like it." Barbara said. "But not as sorry you're going to be for coming into my home, with my mother." Jim threatened walking over to Barbara. "So, you'd better leave now, or else we'll all be sorry." "Jim she's our guest. What's gotten into you?" Barbara was starting to lose concious and fell asleep with her head on the table. "Mom!" Jim said. "Barbara!" Talia came to her aid. Nomura clicked her tongue in disappointment. "That speech was very moving." She got up from the table, Jim and Tally stepped back as she walked over to them. "Too bad she won't remember it when she wakes up and finds your body!" Talia grabbed her pepper spray as Jim reached for his amulet. Nomura slapped across her face knocking her down, and grabbed Jim's back throwing him into the kitchen. Jim reached out for his kitchen knives but they weren't where they were suppose to be. "Looking for these?" Nomura came in revealing her true self with the knives in her hands and aimed them right for him. Jim grabbed a pan and deflected them. Talia got up, grabbed Nomura's hair and pulled her away from him. She unleashed her power and striked her with her claws, but she dodged them. Talia hit her with a round house kick throwing her right into the living room. Jim reached for his backpack, grabbed his amulet, summoned his armor and helped. Nomura did a helicopter kick and knocked them down, Talia got up, and tackled her. The troll punched her in the face but ended up breaking her hand causing her to scream. Talia got her pinned down and said. "It's over, Nomura! Just give up." But Nomura never gives up. She spat in her face blinding Talia and kicked her across the room. Nomura grabbed her neck in a choke hold and strangled her. "Tally!" Jim cried. He spotted the her pepper spray, grabbed it and sprayed in Nomura's face. She screamed in pain and held onto her burning eyes.

Jim picked up Tally and helped her upstairs to the bathroom, locked the door and turned off the lights. Nomura shooked off the pain, swiftly crawled upstairs like a spider, whistling the song 'Peer Gint' looked around to find them. Talia shook her head and woke herself up. Jim hushed her to keep quiet. Nomura kicked one of the doors open to find a room but no sign of the children. They stayed quiet as best as they could, but then Talia sneezed. Nomura herd her, and looked back with a deadly smiled and walked over to the locked door. The kids prepared themselves for her coming their way. She reached her hand underneath and clawed the floor. "You can't hide forever. Trust me . . . I would know." Nomura jiggled the door knob to open, Talia stepped in front of Jim and growled waiting for her to strike. But then there was silence, absolute silence. The door slammed open Jim fell back, Talia charged but Nomura was nowhere in sight. There was a sound of a roar and fighting, the house began to rumble. Talia's power weared itself off, and looked at Jim, they went and looked out the nearest window and saw Draal fighting her on the street.

"Draal?!" Talia said. Nomura jumped on the roof and over to the back yard and Draal pursued. Jim and Talia ran downstairs and saw them fighting through the windows and reached outside. Nomura went after them, but Draal jumped in blocking her attack and knocked her away. "What are you doing here?" she asked. "Deliviring you pain again, Nomura." he said. "Do not touch the children." "Suddenly you're honorable? Sorry to hear about daddy." she said. "Bular always like the way he screamed." Draal roared and threw a punch, Nomura ducked, Draal threw in an upper cut, she flipped back and caught her blades in his horns. Draal charged as Nomura held on a strong as she could. She jumped back landingd on the fence, leaped into the air and cut one of his arms. Draal screamed in pain, Nomura swung her blades again and attacked him, Draal held his arms up gaurded himself with his hard skin, he stepped back, then caught her blades, slamming her body to the ground swung her in the air and out of sight. "Impure." he spat and turned to the kids. "You were right." "So you're not here to kill me?" Jim asked. Draal came up and said. "Not kill. Protect." Jim's armor shut off, Talia caught him in his exhausted state. "Whoa, I got ya." Draal picked up the amulet and handed it to him. "Take it. Don't make it weird." Without hesitation, Jim took back the amulet. Draal walked inside the house. "You going to be okay?" Jim asked. "I am." Draal walked over to the unconcious Barbara, sniffed the tea Nomura had made, and flicked off one of the cups. "But, are you? Your battles won't always be waged in arenas." Talia and Jim listened. "You won't have time to prepare, to study your opponents weaknesses as you did me." Draal came up to Jim and said. "You are the Trollhunter. It is time to start being afraid." He sighed and said. "Since I cannot go back to Trollmarket, I will guard your home." "That could be a problem." Talia said. "Yeah . . . I don't think my mother would be down with that." They turned to her snoring with her mouth open. Jim removed her glasses and set them on the table.

Draal went downstairs to the basement and picked out and ate the coal from the furnis. "This is nice. Here I shall protect you and your fleshbag mother, Bar-bu-rah." he said. "Actually, Draal, her name is pronounced Barbara." Talia said. "That's what I said." he said." "No,no,no, it . . .ugh you know what never mind." she said. "She will awaken soon. I protect. I don't clean." Draal said. "Right. We'll get right on that." Jim said, as he grabbed his broom. "Fleshbag . . ." he snorts and says "Maybe you'll make a good Trollhunter, after all. When that time comes, I will be proud to fight by your side." Talia studied him and saw that he was serious about all of this. She remembered about Kanjigar saying that all his son ever wanted was to make him proud, and that there are other ways to find a solution. But most of all if they were to win the hearts and minds of these people, they have to earn it. Jim most of all. "Thanks, Draal." Jim said.


	10. Chapter 10

Silver Lion

Chapter 10

Later evening in Jim's backyard with a bunch of junk lying around, Talia had been teaching Jim and showing him some moves she had learn through all of her training in the skills of the martial arts, and now they are sparring, helping each other grow. Jim maybe a natural when it comes to his first fighting experience, but Talia had the upper hand with skill and discipline, and had more experience than he did. Jim threw in a horizontal punch right at her, but she blocked it and punched him in the stomach and tripped him with a sweep kick making him land on his butt. "Ah" he winced in pain. Talia gave him a hand and lifted up. "Not bad, but you have to maintain your balance and work on your defense." She said, and got back in her fighting position. "Come on, let's try again." "Tally, we've been at this for two hours, can't we take a break?" Jim asked. "Jim, if there's any slight chance that you don't have the amulet on you and you running into Bular, or anyone of the changelings you need to be fully prepared." Talia said. "One more round and we'll take a break, okay." Jim sighed and got into his fighting position again, they paced around each other, Talia came in with a back hand, Jim pushed it away and threw in a front round house kick. Talia blocked and grabbed his leg and pushed him down. "AAhh. Oh, that hurt." he painfully said, in an awkward position. Talia released him from his hold and dropped him. Jim laid on his back on the ground moaning.

Toby came in with a paper bag from his favourite place to buy tacos. "Hey guys, I brought tacos." He said. He looked and caughtJim lying on the grass breathing heavily with Talia over him. "Did I miss something?" "We were just working on some martial arts." Talia explained, as she helped Jim back on his feet. "Uh, huh. Well any way I bought some tacos, who want's one?" Toby asked. "You and Jim can have them, I'm going inside and make myself a green smoothie." Talia said. She grabbed her sweat rag and walked. "What is with her and green smoothies?" he asked disgusted. "She's a vegan, Tobes." Jim said.

She came into the kitchen looked into the fridge found some kale, assorted tropical fruit, and some cherry juice. "I guess this stuff will have to do." she said. She took out the ingredients measured them up, chopped and mixed them up in the blender. Draal walked in and watched curious about what she's making. After the blender stopped running she took out a big plastic cup out of one of the cabinets, poured in the contenants in, put in a plastic straw, and took a big sip. "What is that?" he asked. His voice made her jump and spat out her drink. "Did I scare you?" he asked. Talia turned around coughing and wiped the smudge off her mouth. "Draal, you can't just sneak up on people like that. It's polite." she said. "Like you were being polite to me back in Trollmarket?" Draal pointed out. "Well you were kind of bit, of a jerk towards Jim, and tried to kill him." Talia described. He snorted irritated by her reminding him. He walked into the kitchen and came up to her. "By the way, what was that back there?" he asked. "Was what?" she asked. "Your magic." Draal said. Talia's face softened, looked down the floor, and sighed. "I wish I knew." "You mean you don't know?" he asked. Talia remained quiet and shook her head. She looked back up to him and said. "Draal, do you know anything about lion's . . . with silver fur?" His eyes turned wide with a confused expression. "Silver furred lion's?" he raised one of his stone eyebrows. "Never mind. Forget I said anything." she sighed, and went back outside. Draal rubbed his chin thinking about her question.

The boy's were disposing some old junk with the use of the Daylight. "All right. Do your worst." Jim said, as he got into a batter's position. Toby aimed and launched a watermelon in the air, Jim swings his blade splitting the watermelon into two, and creating a blue light of explosion. The boy's cheered amazed by the sword's magic. "It slices." Toby said. "It dices." Jim said. "What the heck are you guys doing?" Talia asked. "Just getting rid of some stuff." Toby answered. "With magic?" she asked. Jim picked up the bag of taco's that Toby had brought with sword and tossed into his other hand. "Alright what else you got?" Jim asked, eating a taco. Toby picked up a stack of magazines tied up in a string. "You know, we should probably recycle these." he said, eating his taco. "On the other hand, shredding them is more fun! Less enviromentally concious, but more fun!" Toby spinned around and tossed them into the air. Jim waited for the right moment, hit them with his blade, and turned the paper into confetti. "Oh. Home run. Whoo!' he cheered. "It's like a ticker tape parade of awesome!" Toby said.

"Guys" Talia said. "That's a dangerous magical wea-" Draal stepped outside and slammed the door. "What is this mockery?" "Oh, hey, Draal. Just working on some sword fighting skills." Jim explained. Draal came up to him and said. "The sword of Daylight is not a toy to be played with. It is a hallowed obligation I have spent my entire life training to be worthy of." "You wanna take it for a spin?" Jim asked, offering him the sword. Draal's face softened, he took the blade out of Jim's hands, hoiste it in the air, and looked at his reflection, but not of his own, but his father's face, and disappeared out of his hand. Talia saw the sad look in his eyes before it happened. Then the sword appeared right back into Jim's hands. "Sorry. I forgot." Jim apologized. Draal sighed and turned to Jim. "If my destiny is not to hold the sword, perhaps it is to teach you to properly wield it." He spotted the lamp, grabbed it and removed the shade, and began demonstrating some moves. His forms had alot of skill and discipline including power, and control. His last move made Jim flinch, without even hitting him. "Wow" Talia said, with her eyes popped out wide. "Your blade is but an extension of your body, and your body, an extension of your eyes." Draal explained.

Talia and Toby stepped back and watched. "Mimick my movements, Trollhunter." he said. Jim followed each and every move he was showing him, and he was excelling at a wonderous state. As time went by, the two were from teaching to sparring. Talia was amazed by Draal being a good teacher and by Jim becoming a natural to sword fighting in just a few hours. "I can't believe on how Jim learned so fast." Talia said. "Yeah, they've been at this none stop." Toby agreed. Draal now had Jim pinned against his house. "That kinda hurt's." Jim groaned. "A real fight is never predictable, Trollhunter." Draal said. "You have to expect the unexpected and learn to embody the armor, force it to do what you want." Jim had heed his words, moved his hand, concentrated on summoning the sword, and poked Draal at his belly. Draal released him and laughed proudly on a job well done. "Awesome!" Talia cheered. Toby's phone dinged for a reminder. "Shoot! We're supposed to meet Blinky at the museum now." He said. "Ah, well work on this more later, okay, Draal?" Jim said. The kids got on their bikes and headed straight for the museum.

The reached the museum, snuck inside through the opened window, and got inside. "I hope that crazy pink troll girl isn't here." Talia whispered. "The goblins are all gone." Jim said. Talia looked at him. "What? That's impossble." They met up with Blinky, Arrgh and Vendel in the European exhibit. "You're late." Blinky said. "Sorry. Draal was training Jim." Toby explained, Jim elbowed him, and Talia smacked behind his head. "Draal?" Arrgh asked. "Training?" Blinky asked. "Yeah, sort of made a home in my basement to look out for the place." Jim said. "And he's a pretty good teacher and sword fighting." Talia said. "How come you never taught any of that to Jim?" Blinky paused for moment and didn't answer. "You don't know anything about fighting or wielding a sword do you?" Talia asked. "Are we simply waiting here to be discovered?" Vendel impatiently asked. "Or were you planning on showing me this thing you believe to be the Killahead Bridge?" "Hold your horses, Vendel, it's right this way." Talia said showing them the way.

They opened the doors to the closed exhibit. "And as we were chasing away the goblin pack, we ran past this closed exhibit, and there it was: the Killahead Bridge."Jim said, as he pushed the curtains aside showing them the hidden project. The kids went to the side, grabbed the sheet, they struggled pulling it off, Talia unleashed her power increasing her strength, the trolls were stunned, amazed by this, but once she pulled the sheet off the hidden project did not turn out to be the bridge. It was nothing but an old viking ship. "What?" she gasped. "Oh no." Jim said. "That is not a bridge." Vendel pointed out. "But it was right here! You saw it, Tobes. You took a picture of it." Jim said. "And I hit my head on it!" Talia exclaimed. "It wa eh . . . out of focus, and I did forget to turn on the flash." Toby said. "We were running so fast. We were being chased, you know?" Jim and Talia looked at him irritated by his unhelpful stammering. "Maybe we only thought we saw it." "Blinkous Galadrigal, I've not left the Heartstone in a century." Vendel spoke to Blinky. "I only did so tonight because of the grave peril the Killahead represents. For you to invoke that danger without just cause-". "If Master Jim says it's so-" Blinky interjected. "You will be only quick to believe him." Vendel interjected. "You've never met a conspiracy theory you didn't like." "I hate conspiracies. That is why I am dedicated to rooting them out." Blinky stated. "Like you rooted out the plot to rid Trollmarket of all it's cat meat?" Vendel asked. Talia threw up in her mouth and swallowed her vomit, remembering that cat butcher shop down at Trollmartket." Jim notice the disturbed look on her face. "You okay?" he asked. "Yeah, I just threw up in my mouth." she whispered.

"That was a misunderstanding." Blinky continued arguing. "Or the time you were convinced we were infested with flea trolls?" Blinky asked. The kids looked at Arrrgh confused, and nodded saying it was true. "Precaution is the soul of virtue." Blinky said. "Everyone in Trollmarket thinks you're paranoid." Vendel stated. "If it's everyone, it must be a conspiracy!" Blinky yelled. Vendel sighed and said. "It would see your pupil is desperate to play the hero, while you were desperate to see danger where none exists. Arrrgh take me home." Before they left Vendel turned to Talia. "Fleshbag, I want you come to Trollmarket at the Hero's Forge tommorrow evening right after you get off from this . . . what is it you humans call it?" "Um, school" she answered. "I want to study more about your abilities." he said.

The next day, Jim, Toby, and Talia rode their bikes and made it on time for school before the bell ringed. "Say what we saw wasn't just an illusion and they did move." Toby said. "How can we possibly find it?" "Well, I don't think we're gonna be lucky enough to stumble on it again, Tobes." Jim said. "One thing's for sure. That curator did not move it by herself." "Then it must be Bular and some other changelings working for him." Talia pointed out. "If we catch a changeling, and use that as proof, then Vendel has to believe us." Then Jim saw Claire being dropped off by one of her parents. "Oh,no. Claire." he looked away hoping she wouldn't notice. "Claire? A changeling?" Toby asked. "No. When I thought I was gonna die, I wrote Claire a letter, too, and told her everything." Jim explained. "Everything?" Talia and Toby asked. "Everything." Jim said, as he got on his bike to school. "There you are!" Claire called out, making Jim stopped. "Hey, what's up Nunez." Toby greeted. "Hi, Claire." Talia greete. "Hey Colby and Terra." Claire said, passing by. "It's Toby." he corrected. "And I'm Talia." she corrected. "You've been looking for me?" Jim asked. "You didn't run into Ms. Janeth yet, did you?" Claire asked. "Is she mad I couldn't make rehearsal yesterday? Something kind of came up." Jim said, remembering his fight with Draal. "Steve filled in. That's what understurdies are for, right?" "Uh, you haven't heard? Steve isn't the understudy anymore. You are." she said. Talia's ears sharpened when she heard this. "She's tired of you never showing up, so she made Steve Romeo." "Come on! But I memorized all my lines!" Jim exclaimed. "Doesn't matter. Ms. Janeth is on the warpath for you. I'd watch out." Claire warned, as she walked away. Talia came up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "You still don't want me to pound him?" she asked. Jim looked at her irritated not feeling the mood for her violent nature.

Later after school, Talia went to the canals under the bridge and made sure that no one was there, she took the horngazel out of her bag, drew a half circle, pressed her hand against the wall opening the portal. She walked through the crowded streets of Trollmarket, made it to the Hero's Forge, and spotted Vendel waiting at the center of the arena. "You're late." he said, in a grumpy tone. "You try to get out of school with a pack of crazy teachers." she sassed. "I do not appreciate your tone of voice, fleshbag." Vendel said. "I would advise that you to call me, Master Vendel." "Whatever you say boss goat." Talia said. He groaned irritated by her rudeness. He walked up to her and said. "That white aura you demonstrated . . . back at the museum. Can you summon it again?" "I'll see what I can do." she said. She turned away put her hands together infront of her chest, closed her eyes and began to concentrate. Vendel watched closely waiting for it to happen. The pebbles began to lift from the ground, a small gust of wind appeared out of no where, and her aura began to shine. Talia's silver hair began to fly in the air, her nails grew into claws, and opened to reveal her ice cold blue eyes. She turned and looked at Vendel. "So what do you think?" Vendel stroke his long goat beard intrigued and studied her appearance. "Hmm, very interesting."

He went over to the switch and activated the training sequence of the arena. "Now show me what else this power has in store." he shouted, as the floor rised with the sounds of the gear grinding. The floors moved, the scythes were swinging, and dummies popping out from the ground. Talia jumped performing some stunts using her feral instincts and her martial arts skill to avoid traps and stike down dummies with her fierce brutal strength. Vendel watched and became very impressed on how much she's progressed and become quite the natural to all of this. He knew he'd seen this power once before, but he just couldn't recall where and when.

One hour later, Vendel stopped the arena, Talia's power wore off, and grabbed herself a water bottle. "Excellent performance, fleshbag." he said. Talia stopped drinking from her bottle and looked at him. "You know I really appreciate you stop calling me that. Because, if you keep calling me that I'll call you goat man." she said. "So you may call me Tally or Talia." He walked passed her with his hands behind his back and turned to her. "Very well, Talia." he said, expecting something in return. "Thankyou . . . Master Vendel." Talia said. Vendel smiled and said

When they arrived at the troll hospital building, Vendel, got some things and put set them on the stone counter. They looked colorful potion's in glass bottles, and some other weird tools she was not familiar with. "Take a seat on the med bay." he pointed to a stone table. Talia went over there and sit. "And I'm going to need you to take your shirt off." Talia's eyes popped wide opened disturbed by what he said. "Uh?" He looked at her annoyed and said. "Oh, get your head out of the gutter, girl, I'm not a dull pervert, I'm a doctor! I'm just going to use one of my tools to help me understand magic." "Oh . . . well that's okay then." she said. She removed her hoodie and set it aside, with only her sport's bra and pendent on. He took a big magnifying glass used it to help reveal and examine her energy. While he was searching for a clue he noticed and recognized her pendent. "What?" she asked. Vendel took a good look at the lion's face carved on the medal and it hit him. He didn't understand on what she was talking about with her dreams, her strange natural hair color, and her mysterious gift, but now it all makes since. "Where did you get this?!" he took ahold of her pendent. "It's a family heirloom." Talia answered. He looked at her like she was crazy. "You don't know what this thing means?!" "It's just a pendant." she said. Vendel went over to the book shelf, found the book he was looking for, pulled it out, skipped to the chapter showing a picture of a silihoute of a lion's head in silver painting, and showed it to her. "Your pendant is the symbol of a ancient warrior clan who inherit the great Lion spirit who passed it's power among them. They were once known as the mightiest human beings that have ever lived even the Gumm-Gumm's feared them." Talia's face turned shock hearing this. "What?" was all she could say. "I don't know how this is possible, but . . . you're here . . .alive." he said. His last words got her attention. "Alive? What are you talking about?" Talia asked. Vendel's face softened looking depressed, and looked down to the floor. "The Silver Lion's haven't been seen or heard of since . . ." "Since what?" she asked. He closed his book, looked at her and said. "That's enough for today. I believe it's time you went home." "What?!" Talia said, as he walked away with the book in his hand. "Vendel! Tell me! What happened to them?! Are there anymore out there like me? Where can I find them?!" "Enough!" he snapped. He sighed and said. "Talia, I'm glad we found out the origin of you power, but the story of your families history is hard to explain. And I'm afraid you are going to have to keep this a secret." "Even from my friends?" she asked. "Oh no, just try not let your enemies suspect anything." Vendel said. "Why?" Talia asked. "The Silver Lion's are very rare to find and . . . if Gunmar's son knew of your existence, you could end up being a prime target for his father's cause." he explained.


	11. Chapter 11

Silver Lion

Chapter 11

After from having going through some tests, Talia walked through the streets of Trollmarket thinking about what Vendel had said about her mysterious family history. Could there really be any more out there like her or was she could she be the last of her kind? The only one who knows the answer is Vendel, but he won't tell her. Because whatever he's hiding about the Silver Lion clan must've been dark. Talia looked at her hands deep in thought on the last sentence he told her 'If Bular knew of your existence . . .you could end up becoming a prime target for his father's cause.' But what could she have that Gunmar would possibly want?

When Talia came outside, she felt and heard the vibrating sound of her phone coming from her backpack. She received a text from Jim saying that Toby has run into a changeling at his dentist's office and is in mortal danger. So, Talia quickly got onto her bike and raced toward's her friend's location. She remembered that lady at the counter with the dark aura who works there and now know's that her sight can see changelings in human skin. She sped across town through the streets, and find's the dentist's building with Arrrgh's butt hanging outside from ontop of the roof. "What the?" "Tally!" she turned and saw Jim in his armor. "I've got your text!" she said, as she got off her bike. They broke down the door, and opened behind to find not just Toby, but their troll friends, and the lady's true form laughing hysterically. "What in the world?" Jim said. Jim and Talia looked at each other complete utterly "confused. "Jimbo!" Toby laughed. "Okay this is getting weird." Talia said. "The Trollhunter! Die!" The changeling pounced. Talia punched her in the face and crashed her into the wall. She got her into a choke hold and began to interrogate her. "Alright talk! How many of you freaks are there and where can we find the bridge?!" "Ha, ha, ha, threats like that won't work on me, little girl! Soon the bridge will be complete, and Gunmar's reign will claim what is rightfully ours!" Talia glared and her eyes changed color. She stopped laughing and the expression on her face turned into fear. Talia used her other hand and pressed her head against the wall. "I'm not in the mood for game's here lady! Now talk!" The female changeling screamed in pain from the girl's brute force, she could feel her skull starting to crack. "Talia! Stop!" Jim said.

Talia released her hold on her, and let the changeling hang on the crated wall presumed unconcious. "What the heck, Tally!" he exclaimed. The changling vicously smirked and regained her strength. "I was interrogating her with a little force of torture!" Talia stated. "You call that little?! That stuff only works in movies not reality!" The changeling lunged itself onto Jim. "Jim!" she screamed. He sturggled trying to get her off, before Talia could even assist, he summon his sword in his other hand and stabbed her. The wound opened wide with a burst of blue light shook the earth, and now everyone in the room was covered in soot. Talia coughed and wiped the ash off her eye lids. "Well, there goes the changeling." she sighed. "Oh, my gosh! She's in my mouth!" Toby cried coughing out the ash. "Oh, no! I killed our only evidence of changlings in Arcadia." Jim said disappointed. "And my dental hygientist!" Toby exclaimed. "Really Toby? Your oral hygiene is all you care about?!" Talia exclaimed. "You finished the fight, Master Jim, and in self-defense, for that matter." Blinky said. "Vendel may continue to have his doubts, but we continue to have our lives. A fair bargain I'd say." "Just out of curiosity, what are you guys doing in Toby's dentist's office?" Jim asked. "I thought it was possible that danger may come to either of you should you cross paths with the wrong changeling." Blinky explained. "So, we followed Tobias as a precaution." Arrgh crashed inside, grab a pair of plastic teeth, and said. "And curious." About what?" Toby asked. "You humans have a concept that is quite foreign to us." Blinky exhaled his breath into Toby's face making him gagg by the stench of his fowl odor. "Oral hygiene." Blinky looked in the room and said. "Mm. Looks like we're officially out of laughing gas. We should depart."

Blinky, Jim, and Tally made their way out of the room, Arrrgh tried to fit through but his size was too big, so he decided to take the ceiling window. "Hey. Uh, excuse me, wait!" Toby moved passed Arrrgh. "Look at this place. Do you have some magic artifact that can clean up this place?" he asked. "Yes. I believe it's called a 'Tobias'." Blinky joked. Talia smirked hiding the expression with her hand. "But Tally just made a huge hole in the wall!" he complained.

In the museum of Arcadia, the goblins worked passing stone after stone to rebuild the bridge to free their master from the darklands. Strickler came in with the most unfortunate news of one of their comrads. "I've just confirmed the worst." he said. "Gladysgro has been slain." "Well the impure served her purpose." Bular said, with no remorse. "She had already brought us the stones from Madagascar. Her job is done." He turned and looked back to the incomplete bridge. "I'd advise you to care for those you have employ." Strickler stated. "Care? I only care to find the stones so my father can escape this wretched prison." Bular said, and clinched his stone fist in the air. "Once we have them all, I will crush this troll-pretender myself. And the every fleshthing in this horrid world will know . . ." A sudden sound was coming from the Fetch, the green electricity sparked and spat out a small black stone with trollish carvings imprinted on it covered with green static. Strickler walked up and picked up the stone and read the message. "It appears Nomura has gotten her way." Bular came up to him and looked at the message in his hand. "Another changling has been chosen." Strickler then started to laugh. "And look who it is." Bular viciously grinned upon hearing this.

Talia came home and gotten herself a shower from another hard day's work. She got on her night gown, jumped onto her hammock, put her hands behind her head, and relaxed. Although she couldn't help but wonder. If Adam, Talia's father, knew along about her family's ancient history or this gift they inherited by the spirit who passed this onto them. She looked at the picture frame with the photo of her parents, and picked it up. "Dad, when were you going to tell me?" she asked, rubbing her thumb against the glass. But unbeknownst to her, Nomura had been spying on the girl. Learning every detail and useful information she could find of what makes her so special.


	12. Chapter 12

Silver Lion

Chapter 12

Talia met up with her friends at the vespa shop and were checking out a red cool looking vespa being displayed through the window. "Check that baby out." Toby said. "Yeah, I would kill for a ride like that." Talia said. "Vespa 300 GTS Super." Jim sighed. "Single-cylinder catalyzed four stroke Quasar engine. Hmm . . . Can you imagine with me on the road with that thing? Wind whipping my hair, Claire holding tight to my back . . .". Talia gave him a sly look. "Still dreaming one day holding Claire in your arms, Jim?" she chuckled. "Hey it could happen." he said. "I'm just teasing you, Jim. I'm sure you'll own a ride like this some day." Talia assured him. "But what are the chances of your mom getting one for your birthday?" Toby asked. "Only slightly worse than me winning the lottery and buying it myself." Jim said. "How much did you got saved?" Toby asked. "Only three-hundred twenty-eight bucks and thirty-two cents." Jim said. "Maybe if you get a part time job, you might earn enough money for it." Talia clarified. Then Jim looked at the reflection of the window of a goblin jumping off of a tree to a building carrying a crying child. "Do you see that?" Talia heard the sound of a crying baby and turned to find the goblin taking off with the child. "Hey!" she shouted running after it. Jim and Toby followed her. "What's going on?" Toby asked. "It's a goblin, with a baby!" Jim explained. "Oh, come on guys! It's just a bird!" Toby said.

When the goblin carried the child to the next top of the building, Talia unleashed her lion's power and jumped on the sides of the walls between two buildings, and pursued the goblin. It noticed her right away and started running for it's life. "Get back here you filthy, green, little, kidnapping monkey!" she yelled. It was like playing cat and mouse. Despite the weight of the baby slowing him down, he still kept on running, and jumping from building to building, but Talia still wouldn't give up. "Give me back who ever that baby belongs too!" she swiped her claws at him but missed. The goblin accelerated his speed running scared. He looked around to find a way to escape from the feral vicous looking girl, and spotted a few pigeons on the building, and came up with an idea. So he jumped towards where they are, Talia still kept chasing him, but when he startled the flock they scattered in the air getting in her way, and when the birds were out of the way she'd lost sight of the goblin with the stolen child. She growled angerly at her failed attempt rescuing the child.

Talia catched up with Jim and Toby, and jumped down from the building. Her power wore off and had a disappointed look across her face. "Sorry, guys. The thing got away with the kid." "It's okay." Jim said holding a stuff bunny in his hands. "What is that?" she asked. "Something whatever belong to that baby." he said. "But I just don't get it. What would a goblin want with a baby?" Toby asked. "That's what we're going to find out." Jim said. "Let's just hope nothing bad happens to that kid." Talia looked down to the ground upset wondering about whoever the parents of that baby was, and even if they'd notice that their child had been taken, and are probably worried sick.

Jim trained climbing on the sides of the arena as a rock wall while talking to Blinky about goblins stealing babies. "Let me get this straight." A fire spat out of the wall and caught by surprise, but continued climbing. "They steal babies . . . so they can replace them . . .with changelings?" "Precisely, Master Jim." Blinky answered. "Uh, allegedly steal. I just saw a bird." Toby said. "And in order for a changeling to maintain its appearance in our world, no harm must come to the human child in theirs." Blinky explained. "I assure you, there is no safer place for a baby to be than the bowls of the Darkland nursery." Talia was glad to know that, but she still feel's pretty upset about it all. "Whoa! Hold on, there. Okay, suppose the did take the baby to the Darklands. Isn't that where Gunmar is trying to escape from?" Toby asked. "The doorway to the realm is sealed for now, but it doesn't exonerate the cracks that inevitably from over time." Blinky described. He brought out both of his left hands pinched his index fingers and thumbs infront of one of his eye. "Cracks that allow small things to pass." "Small, like babies and goblins." Arrrgh said. "So if we can find out whose baby was stolen, we'll find a changeling in his place, right?" Jim asked. Then a ring of fire was coming out of the walls, Jim jumped to the closest rock hanging and grab a hold. "And once we have the changeling, we'll have the proof to finally convince Vendel-" Jim was starting to lose his grip and slipped, and screamed falling to his death. Arrrgh forgot to secure the rope in his hand. "Jim!" Tobes and Tally shouted. Talia jumped and grabbed onto the rope, and Arrrgh grabbed onto to her catching Jim. "Got him." Blinky said. Arrrgh helped pulled Jim up dangling. "I told you I fall." Jim said. "You fell because you knew you would." Blinky said. "What if you're endangered and we weren't there? Next time, we'll climb sans the safety line." "We'll?" Jim asked, still dangling. "Uh, Arrrgh? You can put him down now." Talia said. Arrrgh dropped him and let him crash on the floor. "The only lesson learned her today is that, with this many changelings, Arcadia is far more dangerous than previously thought, for all of you." Blinky said. "As Jim has Draal now to protect his home, Tobias, you will have Arrrgh to protect yours." Toby smiled and became all excited. "Really? For Real? We're gonna be roomies?" He raised his hand to Arrrgh. "Yeah! High-five, big guy!" Blinky turned to Talia and said. "Talia . . ." Talia raised her hand to stop him. "I don't need protection, Blinky, I can take care of myself."

Next day at school, Jim and Toby met up at school, and he brought the stolen baby's plush bunny with him. "Ugh! You're still carrying that germ-infested thing around?" Toby asked disgusted. "I am going to find out who it belongs to, and when I do-" Toby interjected him. "Maybe you didn't see what you thought you saw." "Tobes, he's not crazy. Remember I saw the goblin too with the baby in it's arms." Talia walked up to them. "And I swear when I find that changeling who replaced and took that kid's life. I am going to-" "You have Suzy Snooze?" They turned and saw Claire. Talia took the bunny out of Jim's hands and showed it to her. "This thing belongs to you?" she asked. "Yeah. It's my brother's bunny. I've been looking all over for him." Claire said. "Your brother?" Talia gave it to her. "He's been acting weird without it. Where did you get it?" Claire asked. Talia looked at Jim. "What do you mean, he hasn't been himself?" Jim asked. "Exactly how has he been acting?" "Easy, Jim! Always concerned about the children." Toby nervously chuckled. "But just for clarification are we super sure this is his? I mean you could probably pick this up at, like, any store." "I think I'd know the stuffed bunny I grew up with." Claire said. Then one of her friends showed up. "Claire, I'm so sorry, but I can't babysit tonight." she dramatically said. "I can't. I really can't!" "You promised!" Claire exclaimed. "My parents have a work thing and the Papa's skull concert's tonight. Papa skull! I, like, live in the shirt every day!" "Sorry, but Dean finally asked me to a movie, and then Hank invited me to ice cream! 'Tight Jeans' Hank!" Mary dreamily said. "You really have that many guys in your hands, and you can't pick even out one?" Talia asked, raising an eyebrow. "Love can't choose!" Mary cheered. Talia face palmed and sighed. "Do you believe this?" Jim asked. "I know. Mary Wang's a player?" Toby asked. "No, you dummy! Claire's baby brother may have been switched with a changeling!" Talia whispered. She walked up to her and said. "I can babysit for you, Claire." "Tonight? Really? You would?" She asked, happily, but then her face turned into concern. "Wait, have you ever babysat before?" Talia looked back in time remembering dealing with crazy five year old brothers one year ago. It may have been a tough job, but she managed to pull it off to keep those knuckle heads in line. "I took care a bunch of wild spirit boys one year ago, taking care of a baby will be a piece of cake." she assured her. "Oh, my gosh! Thankyou!" she ran up and hugged her. "Just come by my house at seven, no sooner. Thanks, Tally." She walked away with her friend. "Guys, he's not a changeling." Toby said. "Only one way to find out." Jim said and turned to Talia. "I'll get you a gaggle tack to help you expose the changeling." "Oh, I won't need a gaggle tack for this one. Trust me, I have my ways to sniff out a rat."

When it reached six-thirty, Talia rode her bike all the way over to Claire's house. She parked her bike outside and checked to make sure she had everything she need to get the imposter to talk. Talia knocked on the door and called out to her. "Claire, I'm here." "Come on in!" she said. Talia opened the door and saw her feeding her suspected fake baby brother, Talia can see the little one's aura and it's dark just like the changelings they encountered. But she remember to keep cool and act like everything is normal. "So this is little Enrique." she chuckled walking up to them. "I put his routine up on the fridge." Claire said. "After playtime, you just have to put him down. He's a good sleeper." "Got it" she said with her thumbs up. "Phone numbers are here for emergencies." handing out a sticky not to her. "Whatever you do, do not call my parents first." "They don't know you're going out tonight?" Talia asked. "Jim's not the only one hiding a secret." she teased. Talia chuckled and picked up Enrique from his bouncer. There was a sound of an engine running outside of the house. "Oh, there's my ride." she said. She went out of the front door and waved goodbye. Talia looked out the window and saw who it was, she could not believe her eyes. Steve Palachuk on the new vespa Jim was dreaming to have one day. She got on the back, put on a helmet, and held on tight to his waist and took off. Talia was now completly dumbfounded. How could she be going out with a guy like that after everything. Then she thought maybe Claire Nunez isn't what everybody thought she was.

She took Enrique upstairs to his room and puts him in his cradle. She uses her power to accelerate her speed locking the doors and windows, dropped shades, and even removed a disc from the nanny came teddy bear. The infant looked at her in a blank expression. "You can drop the cute baby act." she said, putting her hands on the cribs leaning in towards his face. "I know what you are, and you're not Enrique." But he laughed and played with her hair trying to change her mind. She stood back and leered. "So, that's how you want to play it, huh?" She pulled a dirty sock out of her bag being contained in a plastic bag from her backpack. "Oh, well, I guess I'll just have to throw . . . this thing out." she said, waving it infront of him. The disguised changeling stared at the sock like he was in a hypnotic trance and started to drool. "I got this one from the boys locker room. In the very bottom of their laundry basket, and this baby hasn't been washed for months." she tempted. The imposter continued to stare at the sock as Talia continued on. "And let me tell yah this thing is the most stinkiest, sweatiest . . . and oh, look at that it's even got a mold." The fake was beginning to sweat, trying so hard and desperate to resist. "But you probably don't want this thing. After all, you are just a human baby." That's when he finally lost it, the fake had finally revealed himself to her; he was a small light olive green looking imp with a mohawk and got some fangs hanging from his bottom jaw, and wears a diaper, he jump trying to get the sock but, Talia caught him by his mane, held him tight in the air with him struggling. "Oi, me scruff!" he said. He opened his big yellow pale eyes, seeing the girl with a serious look on her face, and realized he had just got himself exposed. "Uh, oh."

Jim was at home in his room doing his homework. His phone on the desk ringed vibrating recieving a text from Tally and read. "I got the changeling, get the others and come to Claire's house. I'm going to need some help getting this one to talk, so bring some socks while you're at it. And don't worry I got him all tied up he's not going any where." He got off from the chair, and texted Toby to meet him at Claire's informing him about the captured changeling. He got his amulet, ran outside got on his bike and pedaled towards Claire's house. "Just don't do anything crazy when I get there, Tally." he said to himself.

Jim, Toby and the trolls arrived at Claire's house and knocked on the door. Talia opened the door, let them in and showed them the little green imp all tied up in a wooden chair, with a gag, struggling to break free. "Okay, I take back everything I said about you guys being paranoid." Toby said. "You brought the socks?" she asked. "Yeah, I got them all right here." he said, holding his laundry bag. "How did you know he was a changling without using a gaggle tack?" Jim asked. "I thought my mind was hallucinating when I fist got my powers, but it turns I can see through changelings hiding in human skin." Talia explained. The changeling muffled through his gag jumping the chair. Jim went over to him and removed his gag. "Alright, where's the bridge?" Jim interogatted. "What bridge? London Bridge? I hear it's falling down." he said. "Don't play games with us you fake! What did you do with the real Enrique?" Talia asked irritated. "I'm not talking granny, and ther ain't nothing you can do to make me." he said. "Toby, give me the socks." she commanded. Toby gave her the big laundry bag. Talia picked one out of the bag and hanged it right in his face, but not too close. He dropped out his big tongue, hanging from and drooled like a dog. "Oh boy, that sure does look . . . wait. I'm not falling for that again." "Oh, this isn't for you." Talia said, hanging it front of Arrrgh. "What are you doing?" he leered. "There are like a hundred dirty sweaty socks in this bag. I will be more than happy to give it to you, if you answer our questions. Or you can sit there and watch Arrrgh eat them all." "You wouldn't dare." Arrrgh licked his lips ready to eat. "You better not." he growled. Talia opened the bag wide with a sly grin. "Don't you dare." "Chow time time Arrrgh." she said, as Arrrgh opened his mouth. "Stop it!" the changeling squeeled. Talia shook the bag dumping some of the socks into Arrrgh's massive mouth. The changeling screamed and cried, struggling to break free from the bindings. Talia stopped dumping them and turned back with just a half a bag left. "There are still some in here." she waved the bag. "Still don't want cooperate?" "It'll take more than that to break me!" he stubbornly said. "Oh, well, too bad." she said about to hand Arrrgh the bag. "WAIT!" He yelled. Talia stopped and looked back at him. "I'll talk!" Talia crouched down and looked at him in the eyes. "Look I'm new, it's my first day. Can't blame a guy looking out for himself." he cried. "I got myself a pretty sweet deal going here, but you have to promise me you won't tell anybody." "And why not?" Talia asked. "If the Bossman hears I squeel he'll feed me to Bular." he explained. "Bular is working with someone else?" Blinky asked. "Who? Who is Bular working with?" Jim interrogated. The changeling gulped realizing he said too much. "Yeah, you little punk why don't you tell us?" Toby asked. Talia thinked for a minute and knew who he was talking about. "Strickler" Talia said. "What?" Jim looked at Talia confused. "Jim, I saw Strickler with same aura like him and the other changelings. Our history teacher's a fraud!" Talia exclaimed. Everyone stood still awestruck hearing this.

Then Talia heard her phone ringged from her back pocket, she picked it up and answered. "Hello?" "Tally, I just got a call from my parents, they're coming home earlier. I'm leaving the concert right now." Claire said. "What do want me to do?" Talia asked. "Just put Enrique in the crib, and I'll be right there as soon as possible." she said, hanging up her phone. Talia looked at the other's and shoved the boys. "You guys gotta go!" "What is it?" Toby asked. "It's Claire's parents, they're coming home. You all got to go." Blinky grabbed the restrained changeling. "I'll take this one to Trollmarket. Talia grabbed the chair and stopped him. "Blinky, no, I can't let her parents know that their son is missing!" "But this our only chance to prove to Vendel!" Blinky exclaimed. "I'm babysitting, you get this little vulgar, imp, tommorrow." she said yanking the chair out of his hands. "Just go! I'll take care of the rest." Blinky looked down and thinked for a minute, and back up to her and shook his head. The other's left, Talia used her power to unlock her super speed untying the changeling, tossed him in a crib, putting the chair back the way she found it, cleaned the house, and got out just in the nick of time before Claire and her parents came in.

The next day at Arcadia Oaks High, Talia took out one of her text's books from her locker, and shut the door finding Claire standing next to her smiling. "Hey Tally" she greeted. "Claire" Talia said unamused. Claire picked in her purse for her money. "I just want to thankyou for taking care of Enrique last night." she took out her money and offered it to her, but Talia pushed it away. "Oh, it was no big deal." she sarcastically said. "So tell me how was the concert? Or better yet . . . how was your date with Steve?" Claire's expression changed. "What?" "What were you doing last night hitching a ride with that loser?" Talia asked not pleased. "What? It was nothing. He had the last remaining two tickets so he shared one-" "You could've said no!" Talia interjected. "Claire, you know he's just using you to get back at Jim. That's what guys like him do. What were you thinking? I thought you like Jim." "I do it's just-" Claire tried to explain, but Talia interjected. "You just had to see the concert. Let me ask you something Nunez. Are you really as smart and kind as they say . . . or are you just a fake?" Claire was starting to become more hurt by her words. "I thought you were a friend, but it turns out . . . you're just an ignorant and selfish jerk like Steve." Talia came up to her face and poked her chest. "If you're planning to stab Jim in the back, then read my lips . . . stay away from him!" She turned away whipping her hair and walked away leaving Claire with her feelings hurt.


	13. Chapter 13

Silver Lion

Chapter 13

During the breaking point of dawn, Nomura ran towards to the museum swift as the wind and snuck inside without detection, or so she thought. "Went out on another patrol, impure?" Bular asked sharpining one of his blades with his arm. She jumped surprised by the sound of his voice. He turned and growled with an evil eye. "Where were you?" "I can explain everything, my dark prince." she bowed. Bular remained silent sharping his blade with sparks flying. "You see I've been studying on one of the Trollhunter's allies, the girl with the gray hair." Nomura explained with her head still down. Bular continued sharping his blade not amused. "I snuck into her house when she'd left one night, and found something ver interesting, I do believe it will be helpful for your father's return." Bular stopped sharping his blade and came up to Nomura dragging his blade across the floor. "Really? And what would some mere nuisance, mere child, could possibly have for us?" Nomura looked up and grinned. "Because this girl is no ordinary child. . . She is a lion, a silver lion." Bular eyes and ears sharpened, drawing his attention. "The Silver Lion's are nothing but a myth." Nomura raised herself up "Not exactly." She pulled out of her bag she had been carrying, and showed him an antique, a dagger, with a lion carved on it's silver hilt, removing the blade, showing the purest and sharpest blade he had ever seen, and revealed to him a name, once belonged to the tribes so called great cheftain, Leo. "She's one of his descendents?" he asked astonished. "How is this possible?" "I believe he must've had one of his servants helped escape with his son and has carried on a legacy of his own, before they all ended up extinct from their last battle." Bular maliciously grinned pleased upon hearing her valuable resource.

Talia woke up early preparing a special birthday cake for Jim's big day. She made a double layered vanilla cheesecake topped it with chocolate ganache, piped some whipped doll ups big and small and put strawberries on top of the big ones, and last but not least, grabbed a little piping bag filled with white chocolate and wrote 'Happy 16th Birthday Jim!'. June came in and looked at her fine remarkable crafstmanship. "Well they don't call you an artist for nothing." she complimented. "Do you think he'll really like it?" Talia asked carefully putting the cake in a cardboard box. "Are you kidding? Once he see's your cake he's going to have his mouth filled with water." June assured her. Talia closed the lid and tied a string around the box, but had a look of doubt on her face. "Hey why the long face?" she asked. "Do you remember the time when we hung out over at Jim's house when we were kid's and when you learned about his dad?" Talia asked. June looked at her concerned. "Are you afraid he might not want to celebrate his birthday?" Talia shook her head to answer. She walked over, put her hand's on her shoulder's and looked her in the eyes. "I understand why Jim doesn't like birthdays, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't celebrate with the people care about him. Once you show him his very own special birthday cake you prepared for him, you will turn his world right side up." Talia gave a her a smile grateful for her words of advice.

Talia went to Trollmarket, she and the trolls got everything prepared and got everything for Jim's surprise party. "Alright, does everybody know what they're to do when, Master Jim, arrives?" Blinky asked. "Arrrgh will look like he's gone mad, while everybody runs around acting like their in a panice, right when Toby brings in Jim, and then that's give him the big surprise." Talia reminding. The trolls agreed and heard them loud and clear. "Now everybody get into position, Master Jim should be arriving shortly." Blinky said. The everyone got into their places, Blinky activated the forge, Tobes brought in Jim right on schedule, everyone ran around panicking, "Hurry! Run!" they say, Blinky ran up to Jim and Toby "It's too late, Master Jim! Arrrgh has lost his mind! Save yourself!" "I thought Arrrgh was at your house?" Jim looked at Toby. Arrrgh jumped in roaring like a maniac, Blinky and Toby screamed and flee. Arrrgh walked up to Jim, he took a few steps back, but was stopped by one of the scythes, Arrrgh grabbed him, roared and spate his face with his saliva. Jim thought he was done for until he saw the stadium rise with colorful balloons and carnival music being played. The hidden banter written in trollish ;probably saying Happy Birthday Jim!, dropped along with confetti, everyone shouted "Surprise!" "Happy birthing day, Master Jim!" Blinky said. "It's pronounced birthday, Blinky." Talia corrected and brought out the cake. "What?" Jim said confused. Arrrgh put him on his shoulder and said. "Good actor." Blinky, Toby, and Talia came up to them. "Tobias informed us of your human surprise birthday customs." Blinky said. "Are you not surprised?" "Uh. . .That would be one word for it." Jim chuckles. "I was convincing." Arrrgh said putting him down. "Sixteen years! A propitious milestone." Blinky said. "Sixteen is when young trolls master command of their bowels." Talia, looked at him weirded and disgusted hearing the sound of that. She walked up to Jim with the box containing the cake she made. "Hey Jim, I -" Before she could finish and open to show him what's inside Vendel came into crash the party. "The Hero's Forge!" The arena stopped running and the music quit playing. "Sacred proving grounds for Trollhunters past, present, and future reduced to mockery." He popped the balloon in Jim's hand Toby gave him with his staff. "Ah, come on Vendel lighten up! It's his special day. Would it really hurt for him to have some with friends to celebrate?" Talia said. The trolls all shook their heads, agreeing to her, and telling him to join the party. Vendel turned to them with a grouchy look silencing them. "Take these ridiculous decorations off at once!" he commanded. "I don't want anything to delay the Trollhunter's training." He made his way toward the exit. The trolls moaned and sighed leaving the arena disappointed. "Fun sucker." Talia pouted.

All of the balloons and banter were removed from the Forge and Jim began his training with Arrrgh and Talia. "You will not always be the quarry, Master Jim. The hunted must become the hunter!" Blinky said. Jim chased Talia and Arrrgh. "Speed and precision is the goal of this drill, Master Jim. You must catch them without the reliance of your amulet or the sword it manifests." Jim was halted by one of the blades, and proceed chasing after them. "If you are without your weapon, the enviroment can be your weapon!" A scythe came down upon him, but Jim leaned back dodging it nearly almost cut his face. "A weapon you can use, I mean." Blinky said. Talia and Arrrgh jumped on a scythe avoiding Jim. Jim looked around to find a way to reach them. While Blinky has a conversation with Toby. "Master Jim does not appear to be himself." Blinky said. "I expected the celebration of his birthing day-" "Birthday!' Talia corrected. "To add some spring to his step." "Birthdays really aren't Jim's things." Toby explained. "For creatures for just a short lifespan, I would think they would be cherished." Blinky said. "Uh, not for Jim. They always remind him of the day his dad disappeared." Toby said. "Interesting. I did not know Jim's father was a magician." Blinky said intrigued. "Mm, not 'magic' disappeared. More like 'walked out 'cause he's a deadbeat' disappeared." Toby explained. "I'd just moved into the house across the street, and Jim's dad got him this sweet bike kit for his fifth birthday. And then he just took off. The pieces laid there in the garage for years." Blinky looked at him feeling of deep sorrow for Jim. "Last I heard the guy ran off with his girlfriend to be his ski bum in Vermont." Toby finished the story. "What a horrible tragedy. Made even more horrible that I had no idea. Jim was finally able to keep up with Talia and Arrrgh. "There you go, Master Jim! That's how you. . ." Jim jumped from the scythe coming in for a landing, Arrrgh catched him, Jim made an irritated look with an embarassing position he was in.

Somewhere in the forest, Strickler came hoping to meet with Bular where one of the tunnels that lead to the canal were. He looked to find rusty old metal spikes, and human bones lying on the ground, and found a familiar piece from a certain creature. "This is a scale, isn't it?" Strickler said. "You summoned a stalking." He turned to the tunnel finding Bular hiding in the shadows. "To do what we should have been done long ago." he said. "Stalkings are a dangerous and unpredictable as they are uncontrollable." Strickler stated. Then there was a sound of loud screech and wings flapping. Strickler looked up in the sky spotting the creature and appears to have a human in it's clutches. "We agreed that any attempt on the boy's life would bring such scrutiny." he said. "Whick is why I summoned a stalkling." Bular explained. "I'm sick of hiding in the shadows while this fleshbag stumbles closer and closer to my father's bridge." He looks up at the stalkling in the air. "When she gets her prey alone, no one will ever see or hear from the Trollhunter again. Lest they find his rotting bones." he laughed. "And once he's out of the way, the little cub is next." Strickler looked at him confused on what he meant by that.

Back at Talia's house, June looked at her laptop deep in though not even focusing on her work. She was too busy thinking on whether it was time to tell her the truth about her parents and the horrible cause of their death. She looked at the photograph of her and her brother underneath a tree. Talia shared the same blue eyes and elegant shiny silver hair, and even share the same stubborn personality. She remembered the time when they were kid's growing up at the orphanage together, Adam always ends up getting into fights with bullies whether it's for defending a helpless kid or an animal. June always tries to keep him in line but he just doesn't when to stop. Then there came a time when they reached high school, and that's when they have met Beatrice the smartest and nicest girl they have ever befriended. Adam on the other hand saw more to her than just a friend. Even though they always spend their toghether at school, he wanted to get to know more about her and try to ask her on a date, but he was too nervous and shy to do it. One day when prom arrived, Adam was going to finally ask her to go out with him. He waited for her at her favourite diner where she always come's to have her favourite milkshake every Friday, and when he saw her looking out through the window there were a couple of punks he knew from school harassing her. Adam leaped into action saving her and beated the crap out of them. Beatrice was not the one for violence, but she was grateful for his help and accepted going to the prom with him. But right now their only daughter is fighting alongside with her friends when one of them has been chosen by a great destiny. June clenched her fist's and had finally accepted it was time for her niece to know truth.

When Talia had just heard about Jim attacked by some flying predator of a troll, she ran up to him and Toby outside of the school. "I just got your text." she said checking on Jim for any marks. "You okay?" "I'm fine for now atleast." he said. "If I'm alone all by myself the stalkling will catch me, but if I have someone with me it can't get me." He pulled out a book from his locker and shut the door. "I'll be at rehearsal with Claire and plenty of people at rehearsal, I can call my mom to pick me up after, you guys will ride with me to school tomorrow." Talia furrowed her eyebrows when he mentioned Claire's name. "With Claire? Jim didn't you hear what I said the other day, she went off with that loser, Steve, to that concert she desperately wanted to see, and didn't give the slightest about thinking even reconsidering it." Talia reminded. Jim then showed doleful look upon his face heart-broken. "You sure you weren't just jumping to conclusions, Tally?" Toby asked. "I mean, Claire's not like the kind of girl to fall for Steve." "We don't know that Tobes." Talia said as they walked together. "I mean her mom's a workaholic council woman, her father is kind of a clueless optimist . . . atleast that's what I heard of. I mean how can anybody be so stupid and forget about a guy who likes torment people?" "There you are!" they turned around to find her running up towards them. "Oh, hey Claire." Jim said unamused. Talia glared at her not appreciating her presence at this time. Claire was intimitated she backed up nervously. Toby didn't like the attention so he walked off. "Jim, we need you to come to rehearsal and play Romeo again." she said. Jim looked bewildered "Why?' he asked. Then Ms. Janeth burst open the door that led to the auditorium. "There you are Jim! So glad you're here! I hope the two of you are ready to recreate the tragedy of true love." she said dramatically, the called out to everybody in the auditorium. "Places in five!" Jim turned to her and looked confused. "What's she talking about?" "Steve totaled his Vespa. He's got a concussion." Claire explained. "And Ms. Janeth says he can't be Romeo anymore." Talia held her chin acting like she was curious. "Funny, I'm surprised you're not at the hospital sitting next beside your new boyfriend. Claire then snapped to confess. "It wasn't a date, Tally! I swear!" "Whatever." Talia crossed her arms and looked away not believing it. "Jim, we can't do Romeo and Juliet without a Romeo, we need you." Clair said to Jim. "Okay, I'm still confused." he said. "You're the understudy for Romeo, remember? Please, I need you to come back. I'm willing to beg." she was getting to close to him, Talia didn't like it and stopped her from touching him. "That's close enough." she said. "Tally, don't." Jim said, and turned to Claire. "I'll do it." Talia looked at him confused. "You're just going to forgive her? After hitching a ride with Steve?" she asked astonished. "I am" he said. Talia stepped aside and let him go with Clair. Talia understood Jim's forgiving nature and appreciates that, but she still doesn't trust her.

It reached to night time, rehearsal was over and everyone left the auditorium. Talia was waiting outside for Jim, but then she heard something in the air, her senses heightened, and smelt the stench on what could be the stalking predator. She looked up to the sky, but saw nothing, not yet atleast. She accelerated to the side of the building, clawed out her claws and climbed the wall to ontop of the roof. Talia kept her eyes wide open and when she finally saw the beast flying in, she quickly hid behind an air conditioner. She peaked and saw it perched on the edge of the building looking for it's prey, but unbeknownst to the bird she was going to be Talia's prey. She unleashed her feral power and stalked the creature without it noticing.

The stalkling watched Jim waiting for the right moment to catch him. Jim was talking to Claire for awhile before her parent's picked her up. Jim was all alone now, he tried to call her mother desperately but she was unable to get him at this time, and even tried to reach Toby when he got onto his bike. Before the creature could take off and get him, Talia pounced on her back clawing it's neck letting out a wailing screech. She pulled it back, the stalking tried shaking her off, but no avail. They wrestled each other biting, clawing, like two fearsome predators one fighting for her prey and the other protecting a friend. The stalkling got Talia pinned down and tried to bite her head off with it's massive jaws, but she caught them. Talia got a good tight hold of her jaws, she summoned all her strength splitting them, the stalkling was suffering from the agonizing pain Talia was giving her, she was about to break her mouth . But unbeknownst to them Jim heard all of the commotion and found them fighting. She noticed his presence right away when his armor lit up. "Tally!" he called out charging in with his sword. "Jim, no, get out of here!" she plead. But the stakling freed itself and grabbed Jim lifting him high in the air. "Jim!" she cried. Talia grabbed her phone and called Toby.

Tobes and Arrrgh were sitting in his rooming playing a video game before the power went out. "Aw, man! Stupid storm!" Tobes heard his phone ringed and picked it up. "Tobes! Where are you! Get your butt over here right now! The stalking's got Jim!" she yelled through the phone. Toby turned to Arrrgh and told him 'We gotta go!'. They raced outside and ran all the way to Jim's location where the map on his phone is showing him.

The stalkling raised Jim up high in the air, and higher in the air with clouds of thunder storm's and lightning. "Where are you taking me?!" Jim screamed. But the stone bird continued lifting him high in the air. Jim swung the sword of Daylight to break free, but it caught him again. Toby and Arrrgh arrived at the school building to where Jim was suppose to be. Talia jumped down infront of them and pointed out to where Jim and the stalking are. "Their up there!" "How do we get up there?" Tobes asked. "No wings." Arrrgh said. "Come on maybe we can catch him." Talia said.

Jim struggled to fight attempting to free himself from the beast's grasp, but she would not let go of him. They were flying so high they were reaching an atmosphere Jim was losing som oxygen. "Please let me go. The air. . . I can't. . .I can't breathe." he weakly said. The thunder drummed alarming Jim, he remember Blinky saying about using the enviroment as his weapon, and came up with an idea. He cut her claw releasing one of his hands and raise his sword high in the air. "If I go, we go!" he said. As predicted the lighting struck him electricuting them both. The blast knocked Jim out cold and turning the stalkling into stone, dropping him and falling to their deaths.

His friends saw him falling about to crash land on the bridge. "Hurry!Hurry! Hurry!" Toby cried. Talia and Arrrgh accelerated, Jim was coming in hot, "Arrrgh, launch me!" Talia said. Arrrgh gave her a hand, she jumped onto his palm, and aimed her right for Jim showing off a green glow. Talia catched Jim and came in for a rough landing on the concrete. Talia groaned, but quickly got over the pain, and checked on her unconcious friend. "Jim!" she shook him. Arrrgh and Toby ran right to them. "Jim! Jim!" Toby cried. Jim breathed and awoken with the sound of electricity crackling from his armor. "Hey, buddy." Talia smiled. "You did it." Jim smiled relieved, glad to be rid of that monster. "Way to got guys!" Toby cheered. The sword of Daylight landed close to them making them jump before disappearing, and saw the stoned bird crashed in the canal turned to rubble. They looked over the bridge and saw it dead. "This is why I hate birthdays." Jim said twitching from the electricity.

Jim's friends took him back to Trollmarket for his one last final surprise for his birthday. Blinky had Jim's eyes blinded with his stone hands. "This had better not be another surprise because I really don't think I can handle any more." Jim said. "No,no. If my calculations are correct, there's only a few more minutes left to your birthing day." "Birthday." Talia corrected him again. Blinky looked back at her annoyed, then removed his hands from his eyes and revealed his birthday gift to him. "Time for one more present." There were parts of an old vespa on the ground, Jim smiled when he saw this. "I know it doesn't look much. . ." Jim ran over and got a closer look recognizing one of the parts. "Wait. That's a 150 G.S." he said. "Four-speed gear box, classic long saddle. . .original handlebar headlamp unit! These are the pieces of a 1955 Vespa!" Jim said. "I thought perhaps one day we could build it together." Blinky chuckled. "After your training, of course." Jim ran up and embraced him with an affectionate hug. "Thank you. Thank you! This is the best gift I've ever gotten!" Blinky hugged him back and said. "Oh, well." "I knew we'd turn it around." Toby smiled. "When is your birthing day?" Arrrgh asked. Talia sighed and face palmed annoyed by not getting the word right. But let it go and decided to bring out the her birthday gift Jim. She opened the lid and walked up to Jim. "Who want's cake?"

June had been trying to call Talia, but she could not reach her. "Come on, come on, Talia pick up." she muttered, pacing back and forth in the dining room. Suddenly there was a knock on the front door, she hung up her phone, and opened it to find Strickler standing on her porch. "Miss. Sturges." he greeted. "Mr. Strickler?" June said. "Is Talia home?" he asked. "No, I've been trying to call her and she hasn't answered her calls." June said. "Why?" A raspy voice snucked up from behind "We learned your so called niece is very special." She jumped, turned around and found a pink troll standing right behind her. "And she has a very interesting family history. . . something we all would very much love to hear." Strickler said, with an evil smirk showing his glowing yellow eyes. June stood there helpless and scared between the two monsters wondering what they were going to do to her.


	14. Chapter 14

Silver Lion

Chapter 14

After from having Jim's fun birthday party, the kids rode their bikes all the way home. "Well how about that, Jim, you finally got yourself a vespa." Talia said. "Yeah best birthday gift ever." Jim said. "I can't wait to take it out for a spin once Blinky and I finish it." "Yeah, and maybe you can take Claire out for a ride." Toby smirked. Talia then looked at him irritated "What?" Jim saw the look on Tally's face and told her the truth about Claire. "Tally, I talked with Claire after rehearsal, that night when you were babysitting her fake baby while she was out at the concert with Steve, nothing happened." Talia looked at Jim and raised an eyebrow. "She only did it to go see the concert by herself." Jim explained. "You mean they didn't-" Jim shook his head smiling. She was astonished at first, and then started to regret. After from saying all those things about her being a fool or a selfish person to her. "Oh, great, I feel like an idiot." she said, face palming herself. "Hey, it'll be alright. Tomorrow morning at school you can go work things out with Claire and apologize." Toby said. "I'm pretty sure she'll fogive yah."

When they arrived at the culdesac, Talia went to her home and find her front door creaked opened with claw marks on the wood. She became alarmed and kicked the door and opened to find her house all wrecked up. Tables and chairs were broken, vases were shattered, picture frames were on the floor cracked. "Aunt June?!" she called. Talia ran upstairs hoping to find her in her room, but she was not there, she even looked into her own room too, and looked all over the house but she was no where in sight. That's when she had realized, her aunt has been taken. Talia reached for her phone in her back pocket and dialed Jim.

Jim was at the house chatting with Draal on what happened tonight. "Stalkling?" Draal asked. "Yeah, and when it grabbed me, it lifted me high in the sky with all of the lighting and thunder storms, I used Daylight to attract the electricity and kill it." Jim said. "Brilliant and reckless. . . I love it." Draal complimented. Jim's phone went off ringing, he picked it up and saw Talia calling in. He answered the phone. "Tally?" He listened and heard every word, his turned astonished. "What is it?" Draal asked concerned. Jim turned to him and said "We got to get to Tally's."

Jim called and brought Toby and Arrrgh to help investigate the crime scene in Talia's house. "When I walked up to my porch, I saw my door opened and scratched up, and when I came inside I found this place in ruin." Talia said to Jim. Draal sniffed the floor and recognized the scent. "Nomura." "That crazy troll witch again?" Toby asked. "And she wasn't alone. There was another changeling with her." Draal said. "Strickler" Talia pounded her fist into her hand. "That two face, back stabbing . . . Ooh, when I get my hands on him, he's going to wish he was never born." "Talia, I don't know what you saw, but we can't be sure if . . ." Talia interjected Jim. "Jim we know he's friend's with Nomura, he's hardly ever around at school, and we when we were on that field trip to the museum I saw his aura, and it was black as tar." Arrrgh sniffed the air, and looked underneath the rug to find a trap door, opened it and find a small book with a strange looking emblem. "Witch." he said. They all turned to him confused. "Beg your pardon?" Talia asked. Arrrgh showed them the book. Toby took the book out of his two big fingers and examined it. "Tally, you never told us your aunt was a witch." "What?! My aunt is not a witch! Besides we would know that!" Jim took the book and opened looking through the pages to find the writing in trollish, showing strange and gruesome pictures. He took out his amulet to translating it into english revealing the spells in this book. "Tally, I hate to tell you this, but Arrrgh's right. This is a spellbook." he said, showing her one of the pages the amulet translated. Talia took the book from Jim's hand, looked at it with distraught. Draal looked at her with sorrow. "Tal?" Talia looked at the others and said. "Let's search through the house. Maybe we can find some clues."

Jim, Toby, and Talia went upstairs to the attic, while the trolls looked and looked through some boxes, but have found nothing but junk. Toby opened one box's and a puff of dust got right into his face. "Ugh, have you guys ever heard of spring cleaning?" Toby said. Jim looked in another box and found some files, he opened one of them and found a photograph of a little girl . He read them and found something very interesting. "Hey guys, I think I found something." he said. Tal and Toby rushed over to him and looked at the file in his hands. There was an old newspaper of a burnt house with a couple killed and their daughter an orphan, the article said 'Wicken's Murdered.'

"Wicken's?" Toby asked. "Who are the Wicken's?" "I don't know." Jim said, he continued to read the article. "At the outskirt's of Kansas, the family home of the Wicken's were invaded by a group of hostile indiviuals. Their daughter Emelia escaped, but her parent's were hanged by the neck and the murderer's burned the house to the ground. Emelia went to one of her neighbor's house and alerted the authorities. The police were able to find the suspects and arrested them. While being interrogated asking them why they commited the crime. It turn's out these people were psychotic, delusional, hypocrits, accusing the Wicken's being witch's. After trial the killer's were sentenced to a life long prison in a mental institute, and the orphan, Emelia, was taken to a foster home in a different state." "Why would she have some girl's unfortunate story here?" Toby asked. Talia took the picture of the girl, got a clear good look at it, something popped into her head when she recognized her. "Tally?" Toby said, as Talia rushed over to one of the opened boxes containing photo albums and old school year book's. She took out her Father's elementry school year book, flipped through the pages and found her aunt's and compared it to the one in her hand making a perfect match. "Because Emelia, is June." she said showing them the pictures. Their eyes widen completely awestruck.

The continued searching through the box and found not only June's secrety identity, but her father's police files. Jim and Toby took them out and spread them across the floor and looked into them to find unsolved missing civilians, and strange disturbances that have occured. "You're dad has been keeping all of these to himself?" Toby asked. "I remember my dad not the kind of man to go back on his word." Talia said. "He was dedicated to find these poor lost souls." Jim looked into the box again and found a sketch journal. He opened and find pictures of all the creatures and found one familiar being they have been facing. "Tal. . . I think you should see this." Jim said. Talia looked up to him in a sad expression, with her mother's journal in his hands, and handed it to her. She took the book, turned it around and find a drawing of Bular on it. Talia felt complete and utter shock. Toby looked at it and was feeling the same thing. "Is . . .that. . . Bular?" he asked. "Look's like it." Jim said. Talia kept on staring at the picture. Why would her mother draw something like him? She then started to wonder and looked at the picture more carefully, a sudden flash occured, and hit her head hard made her scream, dropping the book. The dream she had been having of her parent's death when they crashed, the shadow monster was actually Bular and was the cause of it, and the one, the iron giant, the one that saved her life was Kanjigar. Jim and Toby came to her aid "Tally, are you okay?" Jim asked. She looked up at him upset, her eyes were beginning to shed tears.

The gang all went back to Jim's place, sitting at the living room, looking at Talia with complete sorrow after what she'd just told them. "So, let me get this straight." Toby said. "The night when your parent's crashed? When they were killed? Was all because of Bular?!" Toby exclaimed. "He rammed us off the road and ate them. I was helpless to do anything and I had to watch." Talia sobbed. Jim put a hand on her shoulder, "Tally, there was nothing you could've done. You were hurt, just a little kid, there was no way you could've stopped that monster." Talia wiped a tear from her eye. "Everybody thought that I was crazy . . . saying it was all nothing but a dream." Taila cried, growing angry. "But it wasn't . . . it was a memory! Now I've just found out the woman who had been raising me for ten years is a witch. I . . . I don't even know she's my familty." She clutched her fist hard to her chest, more tears began to shed. Draal have had seen enough of this and yelled. "Alright! Enough! By Deya's Grace!" He grabbed her with his massive hands and shook her like a rag doll, Jim wanted to do something, but Arrrgh stopped him. "Pull yourself together! Crying won't avenge your parents or kill Bular! Action will! If you continue to sit here and sulk, you maye never move forward!" He released her from his stone grasp dropping her on the hard wooden floor, landing on her butt. She comfort her behind and looked up with Draal with one eye cringing in pain. "You think I don't know what it's like to lose somebody I care about? Do I grieve? Yes! Do I let my own despair keep me down? No! There are going to be times in battle we lose our love ones, but we have to move forward and keep fighting on for them! So their sacrifices will not be in vain. That way we'll win!" Draal said. Everyone looked at him astonished by his transpiring speech. Draal breathed in and exhaled to calm himself down, and made a suggestion. "Although, now that Bular and the changelings are on to you, I would suggest you stay in Trollmarket for the time being."

Blinky had offered her a place to live and helped unload the stuff she and her friends carried from her home. "I know it's hard and a bit strange, Talia, but you'll get use to it." he said. He found her hammock in one of the boxes and pulled it out. "Now where shall we put this then?" Blinky asked. "Oh, my hammock? You wouldn't happen to have some space I can use to hang it, would you?" Talia asked. Blinky looked around his cluttered home finding no where to set up the only thing she uses as a bed, he looked at her making an awkward smile.

Somewhere in the dark, wet, smelly, tunnels of the sewer where rats were crawling around. June was sitting against the wall binded by chains. She was hurt, her face was covered with cuts and bruises, and her clothes were torn and tattered. June tried desperately to break free, but she was too weak from all of the pain and suffering she had indured from her tormentor. She stopped and looked up to find the moonlight peaking through the holes of the sewer lid hoping and praying that her beloved, Talia, was safe. Then giant foot steps echoed through the tunnels where a dark shadow loomed across the floor, and revealed to be none other than the son of the devil himself. "Feeling comfy?" he smirked. June looked up glaring at him with silence. Bular crouched down and looked at her in the eye. "Who would of thought, the last remaining survivor . . . an ancient warrior clan supposedly extinct being raised and cared for by a witch." he chuckled, drawing out a claw wiping the blood from her face enjoying the taste. "I would rather devour your flesh. But I have something better in mind . . . interested?" "What do you want?" June asked. "There are only two things that has magic in this village, the amulet of Merlin and . . . you. I need the amulet to open the bridge to free my father." "But?" "I can't get it from that nuisance of a boy, but since you're here. Maybe you can liberate him for me." Bular said. "And why would I do that?" she asked. Bular stood back up and paced himself with his hands behind his back. "Then I will considering allowing you to live and have a place beside my father." He malicously smiled. "And . . . Talia?" June asked concerned. Bular stopped and saw the worried look upon her face, but it didn't bother him. "She'll serve us too. . . as our pet." June returned to glaring and shook her chains using her magic to break free, but no avail. These restraints that have been binding her have a spell on them to prevent her from escaping. Bular knew her answer right away from her vicious outburst, there was no way convincing this witch. "Very well." he said disappointed, leaving her alone rattling her chains desperate and angry, screaming, desiring with the attempt to kill him.


	15. Chapter 15

Silver Lion

Chapter 15

In the middle of the night, Talia could hardly sleep, either it was her home had been vandelized, her aunt's gone missing, or staying in Blinky's home, and having a hard time sleeping on these hard stacked bookes. She looked over to Blinky heavily asleep, with his mouth gap wide open drooling and snorring, then looked the stone ceiling thinking about what Draal said about never let our lives be consumed by despair to avenge our loved ones. Bular had already taken her parents and had to live with the burden of growing up without them, and now he has taken the only family she had. She may not know if June is alive or not, but she did know that Bular will not come only for Jim, but her as well. But what makes her and her mysterious family clan so special? And does it have to do with Gunmar? The only person who know's that answer is none other than that stubborn, grumpy, old goat, Vendel. She could try to ask him about the Silver Lion's, but then again it won't do her any much good. Everybody knows that Vendel is a good leader, but he can be pretty strick sometimes. So her only option was research. The girl got up from her so called new bed, and walked silently to the exit without waking Blinky. When she made it outside, she made one last look at the unconcious four-armed troll, and closed the curtain.

Talia found a cloak nearby and used it for a disguise to make sure no one suspects anything. Because if he knew that she was sneaking around to find answer's about her family's history Vendel would put her on probation. Fortunately, nobody noticed her when she walked through the crowed until, she bumped into a certain someon from behind. She looked up and miss drama queen troll, Bagdwella. "Do you mind . . . Tally?" she asked recognizing her under the hood. "What are you . . ." Talia covered her mouth with her hand, and hushed her. "Shh . . ." she looked around to make sure Bagdwella didn't draw anyone's attention. "I'm just going to the library, promise me that you won't tell anybody, especially Vendel." "Why what's . . ." Talia hushed her again. "There is something I have to know and it's really important. Just promise you speak a word about this." Bagdwella looked side to side with her only one eye showing, and back at Talia and nodded. "Thank you" Talia whispered. She pulled her hood down, walked pass her, and into the crowd.

When she made it to the library, she walked inside, and took in the sight on how many numerous books are stacked on each shelf she had no idea where to began. Her lessons in the trollish language may not be perfect, but it's good enough to translate. So she grabbed a latter and rolled across the floor, climbed up to the ladder, and read the sides of the volumes in alphabetical order, looked in the 'C' for clan and 'L' for lion if possible. Talia grabbed a few volumes including the Battle of Killahead. She opened the first book and turned the flashlight on her phone and began to read. She looked through each and every book with each passing hour, but none of them had any knowledge about her family history. Talia rubbed her exhausted eyes and rested her chin in the palm of her hand. She sit there thinking for a moment, and then she just remembered the book Vendel had shown her when he did her last check up with him. If Talia could get the book then she could find the truth she seeks. But where would he have it? She thinked and then looked at one of the pages with the picture of the hearstone, and then might have an idea on where to look.

At the pub, the wise elder troll, Vendel, was sitting enjoying his nice daily beverage from having a stressful week. Losing Kanjigar, and relying on a human child was bad enough. Now there are changelings among them in Arcadia and they are plotting to release Gunamar from the Darklands. Vendel was not sure on what to do. But the only thing he can do is pray and hoped that they may survive the storm about to hit. After he had finished his drink, he left his change and walked out of the bar. When he came out into the streets of Trollmarket, he spotted a hooded figure jumping from rooftop to rooftop. He stroke his beard and raised his eyebrow curious . . . and a bit suspicous. But then he had an idea on who might the mysterious cloaked stranger is.

The girl in the hood, landed in front of the heart stone like a ninja. She looked up at the huge, massive, radiant, orange, rock and was amazed by it's beauty. This mountain sized diamond is the very life source of Trollmarket, and it's people. This is also the place where Vendel spends most of time and holds some magical artifacts and knowledge. Talia saw the entrance and stepped inside. She found the room where everything she believed, and looked to find anything resourceful. Then she spotted the book shelf. Talia went over and took the first book out, and flipped through the pages to find what she had been looking for, then the next. When she was about to look in the next book she got an unexpecting surprise. "Looking for something?" Talia dropped the book and slowly turned to find the boss troll with a serious face. "Vendel! I . . . it's not what it looks like I . . ." Vendel furrowed his stone eyebrows displeased by her intrusion. Talia then submitted to defeat. "I just want to know." Vendel's face softened and said. "I know it's hard, even for any child to go through. But there are some things . . ." "That are not worth knowing. I know, but Gunmar is this close to becoming free." Talia said pinching her fingers. "Vendel, whatever I have, he may want, I can probably use it against him, but I can't do that if you don't tell me the truth." Vendel stroke his long goat beard to think, closed his eyes and exhaled. "Very well. But you may want to sit down on this one." He pointed out his staff to the table. Talia went over to take her seat and was ready to listen. "Before, Gunmar and the Battle of Killahead . . ." he paused. "Vendel?" Talia asked. He breathed in and exhaled. "Our kind and your family clan battled each for the surface lands. . . and that war created Gunmar." Talia looked at him with complete and utter shock by his words. Vendel knew it was too much, but he continued the story.

"In the middle of the dark ages, in the king of England, the blood we've spilled, and the hatred we carried against each other corrupted our previous hearstone and turned to rot, and then a abominous beast with powerful dark magic emerged. Gunmar despised the human race and wanted to claim the surface lands for trollkind, but he had cruel way of doing it. We did not agree with his ruthless and violent path, so he raided our kinds homes and took their children, and turned them into his own pawns. He also attacked defenseless human villages for food and thrill for his inhumane sport. Gunmar was impressed by their gift and wanted to have it for himself." Talia then stopped him. "Wait you said that my ancestor's and I inherit our powers from our very own lion spirit. What could a guy like that possibly want with that?" "The lion spirits may increase their host's strength, abilities, and feral instincts, but there was also one special ability they had that made them a great asset to man and a threat to our kind." Vendel said. "What kind of ability would that be?" Talia asked. "Enhancement." he answered. She furrowed her eyebrows confused. "The lion's used that ability to help aid man kind and increase their strength ten times fold to fight off his army. Gunmar then believed if they can give man power, what would happen if the Gumm-gumm's had that on their side?" Talia's eyes widen in shock. "They would be unstopable." she said. "He found their village and threatened their leader, Leo, that he will destroy them if they don't serve him as his slaves. But Leo, was not the kind of man to back down or retreat, they fought, and then. . ." Vendel then grew silent, and looked down to the floor upset. "They were never herd or seen from ever again." Talia looked at him with complete and utter lost.

It was alot to take in for the girl, but every word he said was the true. Then that could only mean that she is the last of her kind, and the trolls and her family were once bitter enemies. "But if . . . the lion's have been extinct for a very long time. Then h-how am I here?" Talia asked. "I don't know. Perhaps one of the lion's may have fled and escaped, and carried on descendants of their own." Vendel believed. "Do you think there might still be more out there?" she asked. Vendel looked at her for a moment and said. "That is something you must find yourself."

In the dark tunnels of the sewers, June sit there chained to the walls weak. She looked up to where the dim light shined upon her face, imagining herself reaching out for the only thing for her escape, running back to her sweet little girl, but came back to reality. These enchanted chains are what's preventing her from using her magic to escape, if only she had a little help. Then that's when an idea came to her mind. June could only use a little of her magic, but it was enough to make a summoning spell. June bit her lip and spat her blood out on the concrete. She speaked in the trollish tongue reciting the spell, a magic seal glowed on the floor, then a black cat standing on two legs wearing boots and a red neck bandana, missing a right ear, and yellow glowing eyes emerged from a seal. "June!" he shouted. The cat tried to free her, but his paws burn when he touched her restraints. "AAaaahh!" he cried. "These chains are enchanted." June weakly said. "Jinx, listen I need you to find Tally and warn her. Bular and the changelings are close to completing the Killahead bridge, keep Jim safe, and no matter what happens they cannot get Merlin's amulet." "But what about you?" Jinx asked. "One life is not worth the world. Go!" she said.


	16. Chapter 16

Silver Lion

Chapter 16

The two-legged, anthropomorphic, black cat raced through the woods jumping from tree to tree, to escape a small pack of goblins chasing him. The tabby took one quick look back at them trying so hard to catch up, he smirked thinking on how pathetic these things really are and that ridding these pests will be a piece of cake. His yellow eyes glowed as he jumped off the next branch. The branch cracked, when the goblins landed, the branch broke, they fell, and all crash landed on the ground. The sly cat grinned and chuckled, "Audios, yah dumb green monkey's." His yellow eyes glowed again, a thicker looking branch cracked and fell, they goblins looked up and saw the fallen branch, and then . . . squish.

Trollmarket wasn't the best place known to have showers or baths, so Talia had sneak inside the school and use the girl's locker room. She massaged her scalp and brushed her long soaked hair with her favorite shampoo, and followed along with her conditioner, and rinsed thoroughly. She shut off the water, dried herself off, rubbed herself with her body lotion, and put on her clothes. Talia creaked the door opened and looked out in the hallway to make sure the coast was clear. If Uhl catches her, he would probably suspend her for a week. She took the first step out the door, walked silently throughout the hall, and observed her surroundings with viligance. She poked her head out and looked both ways and headed straight for the exit.

Talia made it outside and checked the time on her phone and it was only seven forty-five, so there were only fifteen minutes left. She sits and laid back on the soft green grass with her hands supporting her head, and looked up at clouds floating by in the morning sky. This reminded her time she had with Dawn in her dreams, lying in the middle of the woods all cuddled up next to her. She wondered how her big feline friend was doing right now, of course, she knows she is apart of her. She also remembered Kanjigar, he hasn't spoken to her in a while now that she knows the truth. It was a lot to take in hearing it from Vendel, but in other ways, she was glad and sad. She felt and heard her phone buzzed, and looked to see a text from Jim. 'Where are you?' 'I went to school early. Had to use the showers.' Talia texted. 'You can't be out there all by yourself you know?' he texted. She rolled her eyes annoyed making a raspberry face. 'Jim, I don't need a bodyguard or some adult supervision. I can take care of myself.'

The black cat dashed across town startled a few people, but thankfully they sought him to be a regular cat. Jinx ran on all fours down the sidewalk following the scent he picked up from Talia's hairbrush when he stopped by at the house. Although he wasn't expecting company. Those goblins may have been a nuisance, but they weren't too hard to get rid of. If his instincts were correct the trail of the scent was leading him straight towards the school. When he had reached his destination, he spotted the silver-haired girl lying on the grass texting on her phone. "Oh, good. There she is," he said to himself. Before Jinx could even run straight for her, something caught his nose, he sniffed the air and turned to find a big yellow bus pulling in. The fur on his back spiked up, Jinx spotted a nearby trash can, lifted the lid and jumped inside for cover, but unfortunately, he landed into one of the lunch lady's meals she had made yesterday. "Blegh. . ." he cringed disgusted by the slimy rancid smell.

* * *

The trollhunters were sitting in their history class, Stickler was absent, so Coach Lawrence came in to substitute. His lack of intelligence, however, made an excuse to have the whole entire class watch Gun-Robot 3. "Really? Another day of absence that's no surprise." Talia rolled her eyes. "You still believe 's a changeling?" Jim asked. Talia looked at him with disbelief. "Jim, his friend's with that curator, NotEnrique's too chicken to admit it, and he broke into my house and kidnapped my aunt!" she whispered. "Tally, we've known Strickler for year's there is no way he ever hurt us," Jim argued.

Claire looked back trying to listen in on Jim and Talia's intense and negative conversation. But the sound of the movie was hard to hear. "What's the matter, Claire?" Mary asked. "Thinking about kissing your Romeo?" "It's just an act, Mare. And that's not what I'm worried about!" Claire whispered. "Then what is it?" Mary looked back seeing Talia and Jim arguing and realized on what she had meant. "You're worried about her, aren't you?" Mary asked. "When she saw me catching a ride with Steve to the concert, she got the wrong idea and think's that I'm a fake. A cruel selfish girl that is just playing with her best friends feelings." Claire slammed her head on her desk ashamed. "I'm afraid when Jim and I rehearse for the kissing scene, she might probably kill me." Mary put a hand on her back and said. "Ahh, come on, C-bomb, Tal maybe a hot head, but she's not ruthless." Claire gave her a weird look reminding her all of the times how she is with Steve. "Okay . . . maybe a bit ruthless." Then Mary thought of an idea, got off from her seat, and stood between Jim and Talia. "Coach Lawrence? Jim took my seat!" she lied. "Lake, give her back her seat." The coach was distracted reading his magazine, he had no idea what was going on. Jim got up from his seat, giving Mary an irritated look, and went over to sit next to Claire. "What are you doing?" Talia whispered to Mary as she took Jim's seat. "Giving them a chemistry lesson," she answered. Talia raised an eyebrow with a confused expression.

Jim looked at Claire and chuckled nervously on what he should say, he looked back to Toby for advice. Toby signaled him and whispered 'Talk to her.' Jim tried to say something, but then he stopped, he looked into his bag looking at the green glowing necklace tempting him to put it on. He picked it up and wore the totem around his neck. Once he put it on he felt all of his stress and anxiety fade away, and his confidence fueled him. "So. . . this is awkward, right?" Jim said. "Stage Kiss." Claire chuckled nervously "Heh, and they say comedy is hard." "I know, right?" Jim said. "Can you believe? It's like the whole school is suddenly interested in our play." Claire said. Jim picked up the desk and pulled in close to her. "Full disclosure, Toby even gave me breathe mints!" Claire chuckled by his so-called sense of humor. Talia watched him completely dumbstruck. Never her entire life she had seen Jim act like this before. "Since when did he became so cocky?" Talia whispered.

Talia met up with Toby outside in the schoolyard struggling to pull his locker door open. "Hey, Tobes," Talia said. Toby stopped and greeted her. "Hey Tal." He went back to trying to open his locker. "Ugh, these things are like bear traps." Jim arrived and knocked on the left, right, and bottom side of his locker, and open sesame. Talia looked at him surprised. "Whoa, you open your locker on the first try!" Toby said. Jim put his bag in and closed the door. "Tobes, it's the Grit-Shaka." Jim showed his totem necklace to him. "That thing has a name?" Toby asked, poking the emerald glowing gem. "It's like a courage totem. Draal gave it to me for the kissing scene today. . . and, oh, man, Tobes! You should've heard me with her in class! I was killing it!" Jim said. "Draal?" Talia asked, examining the necklace. "Draal, gave you this?" "He's helping you with chicks?" Toby asked. Talia looked at him raising an eyebrow irritated. "It's supposed to make you brave, but, man, I am feeling really good!" Jim said, throwing some punches in the air. "It makes me feel like I can do anything."

Then all of a sudden, something black jumped out of nowhere and swiped Jim's totem from his neck. At first, Jim was feeling cocky and overconfident, but then all of that disappeared. "Hey!" He looked and searched desperately for the missing totem. "Kid, Gumm-Gumm totems are nothing but trouble." "Who said that?" Toby asked, alarmed. "Down here." They turned and found a black cat standing on two legs with one ear leaning against Toby's locker, big yellow eyes, wearing a bandana and a pair of boots, swinging the totem with one of his claws.

They all stared at him completely dumbstruck. "Did that cat just . . . talk?" Jim asked stunned. The cat stopped swinging the totem and said. "Yeah, I'm talking to you, and you don't need this thing to help you get the girl. You just got to man up." Everyone looked at him with their mouths still hanging. "And now he's giving girl advice?" Toby asked. "Hey, the ladies love kitty cats, chubby. But where are my manners?" he said, as he walked up and introduced himself. "My name is Jinx and I am June's familiar. She sent me to warn you kids." Talia ear's sharpened when he heard him say her aunt's name. "My aunt?! Do you know where she is?!" She came down and picked him up. Jinx hushed her and pointed at the girls, Mary and Darci, looking at them weird. "Huh. . . Wow, these new plushies from Japan are really something, am I right?" Talia smiled, holding the cat in her right arm and placed her left hand on her hip to make it look convincing. The girls just shrugged it off and walked away. Jim, Toby, and Talia sighed in relief.

* * *

At Arcadia's square museum, Strickler walked inside the dark eerie building to meet with his cohorts where they've been hiding the bridge. "We've been waiting," Bular said impatiently. "Are we quite ready?" the Russian accent changeling in a drench coat said. "Then let's party." He went to his briefcase and opened to reveal a neon blue glowing stone he called, 'the Eyestone.' "The last piece, it is complete." He said as he lifted the Eyestone. It glowed in an ominous blue aura and floated straight towards the triangular frame. They all sinisterly smirked and chuckled for the thrill of their success awaiting to speak to their master once more, but nothing occurred. "It doesn't work," Bular said displeased. "Bular, patience." the drench coat said. The Eyestone glowed again, it's energy channeled through the bridge lighting the stone carvings upon it, then a blue ball light emerged and erupted a blast of energy shaking the room. The monstrous silhouette appeared before them. He was dark, twice as big as Bular, missing a right eye, and had the horns of a devil. "Son" he echoed. "Father" Bular gasped. Everyone looked at him either ecstatic or fear. "His voice is so scary." Drench coat thrilled.

Bular long has missed his father for a very long time hoping to one day embrace him, but his quest was not yet complete. The dark prince kneeled before his king in respect. "Father, your release from exile will soon be at hand. . ." "Your dark excellence," Strickler interjected. "I am humbly in your service. Killahead is nearly complete and you soon will be free." "This pleases me, Stricklander. You have done well." Gunmar said. "Your hum-" Bular pushed Strickler aside and interrupted him. "Father, the mantle of Trollhunter has fallen to a human. And this Impure has ordered me not to harm the boy. . ." "Your Excellence, killing a human child will bring too much scrutiny down upon us," Strickler said. "And he has forbidden me to take the Amulet from him," Bular interjected. "Lord Gunmar, until the Bridge is complete, it is ill-advised to-" "Enough!" Gunmar silenced them shaking the room with his mighty power. "You make my exile even all the more intolerable for your bickering." He said irritated. "Strickland is correct," Strickler smirked at Bular by his father's agreement. "Nothing is more important than preventing our plan from being discovered by our enemies. But from now on, my son will be giving the orders." Bular mockingly chuckled at Strickler. "I will speak with my son, alone," Gunmar said. "Now!" The changelings did as they were ordered and had left the room with Bular to be with his father. "As you wish, Your Greatness." Strickler bowed before he left.

Strickler stormed out of the exhibit displeased and disapproved by Gunmar's order putting the brute of a son of his in charge. Now Bular was left alone to speak with his father. "What has become ofStricklander?" Gunmar asked. "He appears to have grown soft." "In his human guise, he has become the boy's teacher," Bular explained. "I believe he has affection for the child." "You question his loyalties?" Gunmar asked. " I do, Father," Bular answered. Gunmar thought for a moment. "If his heart has turned, we must know. Test him" "With pleasure." Bular bowed, with an evil smirk.

* * *

Jim and the other's had a conversation with Jinx out of sight in the Janitor's closet. "What?! They have all the pieces of Killahead?!" Toby shouted grasping his hair. "They've tortured my aunt?! Bound in her chains and she's somewhere in the sewer's?!" Talia asked. "I'm afraid so," Jinx said. Jim took out his amulet and looked deep in thought. "Now all they need is the Amulet," he said. "We need to tell Blinky and Arrgh! They'll want to hear in about this." Toby said. "We need to rescue my aunt! Those monsters have made her suffered enough. And besides, I don't think they haven't fed her a day." "Guys! Calm down! Look I have to attend to rehearsal. So we'll have to divide and conquer." Jim said. "Tobes, you go to Trollmarket, and tell Blinky and Arrrgh. Jinx, you'll take Tally to find her aunt and get her out." "Good idea," Talia said. "No! No! No! I can't do that!" Jinx said. "And why not!" Talia asked with her hands on her hips. "Tal, listen if Bular captures you. You'll not only be captured, but you will also be Gunmar's personal battery. His slave!" "Jinx! She's all the family I have left. We can't just leave her there to die. Please help me!" Talia begged. Jinx could see her desperation. He knows that she already knows the secret of her past and the consequences, but she was willing to do whatever it takes to save somebody they care about. Jinx shook his paws and submit. "Alright! But we must act quickly."

While Jim and Toby were taking care of business, Jinx helped guide Talia through the tunnels of dark, smelly sewers. Thankfully Talia got out her phone and used it as a flashlight to shine her way. "Are you sure, you know where you're going?" Talia asked, looking around the creepy wet maze. "Hey, I'm a cat. We have superior senses than humans." Jinx assured. "You know, I'm also a lion. So that means I have the same six sense as you do." Talia said. "Well if you're such an expert. Then you do it!" Jinx said. "No, way! I'm not getting down and sniff the ground this place is filthy," she said disgustedly. Jinx then heard something and shushed her in a halt. "Did you hear something?" Talia whispered, shutting off her light. "Wait here," he said, as he stealthily made a right turn. Talia tiptoed quietly not to make any noise. Before she could peak, Jinx came back and said. "She's over here." Talia came out of the corner and had to bear the horror of seeing her aunt restrained by thick ironed chains, covered in blood, tattered and beaten. Talia rushed over to her and checked to make sure she was alive. "Aunt June! Aunt June!" she patted her cheek.

June cracked open her eyes in a blurry vision, hearing a familiar voice calling her name. When her sight became clear see finds her niece right before her. "Tally?!" she gasped. "Hang on, I'm going to get you out," she said. Talia took a deep breath, concentrate on releasing her power, her white aura shined, her eyes turned ice cold blue, her nails turned to claws, and her dentures turned into fangs. Talia swung her claws and just in a flash the chains broke, and June was released from her restraints. June dropped to the ground on her knees and Talia caught her in time before she fell. "You shouldn't have come." she weakly said. "Family never leaves each other behind," Talia said, as she picked her up and put her on her back. "Let's get out of here."

* * *

They ran through the tunnels with Jinx leading the way and Talia carrying her wounded aunt on her back. Unbeknownst to them a goblin had been lurking in the shadows and crawled his way back to his master with a sinister smile. As they continued running through this labyrinth Jinx stopped when he saw one of the goblins and to make matters worse Bular came in blocking their way. Talia gasped when she saw him right before them.

Bular growled viciously and got a good look at Talia in her feral state. "So, it appears that Nomura was right," he said, with an evil smirk. "One of Leo's descendant's have survived." Talia stood her ground strong preparing for whatever attack he may bring. Jinx looked to find something useful to help them escape and came up with an idea. "Tally" Jinx whispered. "Get ready to run." His yellow eyes glowed, the ceiling above cracked, and the road on the surface collapsed creating a huge hole bringing in daylight. "Come on!" Jinx shouted as he leads their way to their escape. Bular tried to pursue them, but sunlight stopped him burning his skin, making a step back in the shadows. He growled and turned to the goblin. "Don't let them get away." The goblin saluted him with his foot and went after Talia. Bular turned around, got on all fours, and ran hoping he might find a way to trap them.

Jim, Toby, and the trolls raced through the tunnels in hopes of finding their friend before their enemy does. "What were you thinking letting that girl go off with some witch's cat alone?" Blinky asked Jim. "Look, I know it was a risky move, but June is a witch for Pete's sake. I mean can you imagine her power being used by Gunmar?" Jim pointed out. "And if he had both witch and lion?!" Blinky argued. Then they halted to a stop when they heard a roar echoed through the tunnels. "Bular, "Arrrgh said. "We better hurry," Jim said as they continued.

Jinx continued to lead Talia with her aunt on her back through the tunnels. "How much farther till we reach the canals?" Talia panted. Jinx sniff and smelled the fresh air just around the corner. "Almost there," Jinx said. They made a left turn, but then all of a sudden Bular jumped in out of nowhere and stopped them. "Did you really think that little trick would stop me?" Bular growled, facing towards Jinx. The black cat nervously chuckled. "Well, black cats are a sign of bad luck." Bular struck him with a backhand, crashed him into the wall, and knocked him out. "Jinx!" Talia cried. Bular blocked her from trying to reach her friend. "It's just you and me now, little cub." Talia jumped out of the way just in time before he could land a strike.

Jim and the other's heard the commotion and saw their friend fighting for her life. "Tally!" Jim shouted as he dons his armor. Talia turned and saw her friends coming to her aid, but she left herself wide open when Bular hit her with a punch and crashed right into the wall along with her aunt. Jim ran in charging and swung his sword. Bular blocked his attack with his forearm and swung his left blade, Jim noticed in time and dodged his attack, and the two were in combat. Talia shook her head and snapped out of her concussion, and saw Jim fighting with Bular. "Talia, we must act quickly," Blinky said, as he rushed to her side. "No," Talia said. "What?" Blinky said. Talia looked at him and said. "Take Jinx and get my aunt out of here, I have to help Jim." She jumped to her feet and went to assist Jim.

As Blinky and the others carried Jinx and June to safety, Talia unleashed her power and dived in with a sidekick at Bular's face knocking a tooth out. Bular noticed this when he saw his tooth on the floor covered in his own blood. He angrily growled and looked up at the silver-haired girl. "You're going to wish, you hadn't done that," he said. Jim stood next to Tally with his sword of Daylight at him. "Oh, I'm sorry," Talia said. "Would you prefer I take one of your eyes!" She swung his claws at him, Jim leaped from Talia's back and launched an attack as he brought his sword down. Bular knocked him out of the way, but let his guard down as Talia slashed him across the face leaving behind a four claw mark scar. He yelled in pain as he grasps his injured face and glared at the children. "Nice one, Tal!" Jim said and grabbed her hand. "Now, let's get out of here." Before they could make a break for it, Bular stopped them in their tracks with his face scratched up and covered in blood. "Going somewhere, Young Atlas?" he growled. Jim gasped in shock, the name echoed repeated that name in his head, the only person who ever calls him that is none other than his favorite teacher. He never wanted to admit it and believed that Talia was overreacting, but it was all true. Strickler is a changeling.

Talia looked up and saw a lid above them and thought of that as their only way getting out of her. "Jim! Get ready to jump!" Jim snapped out of his trance when he heard her voice. "What?" Talia held on tight to him, jumped up high, punched through the metal lid, Bular tried to reach them but failed, Talia and Jim made a rough landing on the road. The lid that Talia sent flying landed back on the hole. Bular punched furiously enraged. Jim and Talia lied back panting from exhaustion. "Strickler's a changeling," Jim said. "I hate to say it, but I told you so," Talia said. She stood up and looked at Jim offering him a hand. "Jim, thanks. You were really brave back there." "Actually I was terrified. As I did the kissing scene with Claire." He leaned up and took her hand. Talia helps him back on his feet and moved out of the way from the road. "How did it go by the way?" she asked. "It was nerve-racking, but in the end. . . the cat was right I never needed the Grit-shaka." Jim smiled. "So you did it?" she asked. "Yeah" he answered. Talia embraced him to cherish and gave him a bro-nuggie. "Way to go, Trollhunter!" Talia laughed.

* * *

Bular returned to the museum, he looked at his own reflection on a gladiator's shield, revealing the scar's, feeling the stinging pain Talia had inflicted. Despite he has failed to retrieve the Amulet and capture the girl, and the humiliation, but he was somehow thrilled because he completed the task his father had asked. Stickler came in and looked upon Bular's face, amused by his new look. He suspected it was Talia who did this to him. "Let me guess." he chuckled. "The kitten was too much for you?" Bular turned to him and growled. "I would silence that tongue of yours impure. And besides, the Trollhunter is on to you now." Strickler's ears had sharpened and his amused face turned serious. "How can that be?" he asked. "Because I called him Young Atlas." Bular smiled crossing his arms. "You did what?" Strickler twitched angerly. "I called him Young Atlas," Bular answered. "But I call him that. Me, alone!" Strickler said. "You should have seen his face," Bular smirked. "He'll know I'm working with you." Strickler frustratingly said. "He'll know I'm a Changeling. Of all the idiotic things you've done, you imbecile. . ." "I gave the order," Gunmar interjected hearing this conversation. Bular turned to his father proud and stepped aside. "Call it a test." "Oh, a t-test?" Strickler stammered. "To lead him to you," Gunmar said. "So that when the time comes, you will kill the boy... .and free me with his Amulet."


	17. Chapter 17

Silver Lion

Chapter 17

The trollhunters returned to Trollmarket along with Talia's wounded aunt and brought her to Vendel. Luckily the damage inflicted upon her body was nothing but minor injuries. Well, despite being in the sewers, hanged on the wall, and being tortured by Bular and the changelings. If Jinx hadn't disobeyed her order's they wouldn't have saved her. Vendel grabbed a bucket of warm water, soak and twist a rag to pour some remains of the water out, and began cleaning her wounds. June was starting to regain her conscious when she felt the wet rag on her skin. She slowly opened her eyes and saw the wise healer treating her. Vendel saw her waking up and stopped her from moving. "Calm yourself, fleshling. You are in a safe haven now," he said. "Where's Tally," June weakly asked. Vendel finished rinsing her wounds and grab some medicine. "You need not worry, she's safe too. I'll get her once I finish treating your wounds," Vendel said.

Talia waited outside sitting on the stair steps with Jinx worried for her aunt. Jinx saw the look on her face and went to comfort her. "Hey, it will be alright," he said. "Your aunt's the toughest and smartest witch I know. If anyone can survive one of the biggest, badest troll, it's her." Talia looked at him and smiled gratefully for his support. "Thanks, Jinx," she said, scratching behind his ears.

Back in the museum of Arcadia, where the exhibit is hiding the complete Killahead bridge. The son of Gunmar spoke with his imprisoned father about the one responsible for inflicting this scar upon his face. "So, this girl's a lion?" Gunmar asked. "Yes, father," Bular answered, continued explaining. "And not just any lion... she is also that fool Leo's grand-daughter." "So...Leo took precaution and had one of his servants escort one of his children to safety," Gunmar said. "I've alway's known him for his arrogance and foolish bravery, but I never thought of him to be wise. How strong is this child, my son?" "The way I see it, she's only unlocked her feral state. I don't believe she has learned to advanced one of her other abilities yet." Bular said, touching his scarred face. "But if she was able to beat you in a fight, she must be growing stronger by the day," Gunmar believed. "When the time is right, you will capture Leo's cub, and bring her to me."

The next day, Team Trollhunters was taking a history class with their so-called history teacher, Strickler. "War is constant chaos," he said, through his picture display. "The winner will be the one who controls the chaos, both his own and his enemy's." Jim, Talia, and Tobes glared at their teacher for they don't seem to care for his teachings. Because after Talia had found out and Jim finally admits that he's a changeling they've felt nothing but betrayal. While everyone was in complete and total silence, he made everyone laugh with a joke. "Look at that. He's got the whole class eating out of his hand," Jim whispered. "His creepy troll hand," Toby agreed. "I trusted him. He betrayed me. And worst of all, he hit on my mother," Jim whispered. Talia stuck her tongue out disgusted when she heard that. "Ugh, I'm going to have nightmares just thinking about it." "I should end him now," Jim said. But then Toby thought of an idea. "Or you can ask him to divulge the whereabouts of the bridge that can release unspeakable evil? I don't know. Do you think Mr. Strickler knows you're the Trollhunter?" "Tobes, he's friends with Nomura," Talia whispered. "And Bular called me 'Young Atlas.'" Jim said. "Only Strickler calls me that. Of course, he knows. But he doesn't know we're onto him."

Once the class had ended, Strickler walked over to Jim's desk to talk to him, Talia stood between him and Jim, and Toby got his back. "Young Atlas, if I can have a brief word before you leave," he said, then looked at his friends protecting him. "Alone, please." Talia glared at him defensively, with her hand still on Jim's desk clawing her nail's on the wood, feeling a sudden urge to kill him. But Toby snapped her out of it when he reminded her. "Not until after he divulges where the bridge is," he whispered. They walked away silently leaving Jim alone with Strickler.

Claire and Darcy were the only ones left leaving the classroom. Claire looked at Jim talking with their history teacher. "Someone has eyes for Jim." Darcy teased. "Remember that letter I was telling you about?" Claire reminded. "The one where he was fighting all of those inner monsters?" Darcy asked. "You don't think he's crazy do you?" "I don't know, but I'm gonna find out," Claire said.

After school had ended for the day, Talia went back straight to Trollmarket to go check on her aunt. When she got to the hospital she saw June sitting upon the stone bed all covered in bandages. But she did not look in pain or in any sort of agony, infact she looked rather well. June was just sitting reading a book with Jinx lying all cuddle up in her lap. When she had noticed Talia's presence right away and put down her book. "Oh, Tally..." she said. Talia walked up and gently embraced her with a warm hug. June wrapped her arms around her waist, pressed her head against her chest, and began to cry when she heard her say. "I was...so worried...about you."

For a while, June had begun explaining everything to Talia about her true identity, and the story on how she had met her father and became friends at the orphanage. Adam had knew all along about his heritage and their greatest enemy, the ones that had murdered his parents. He had vowed that he will do anything he can to grow strong and avenge them. When they've reached to their teenage years they ran away and changed their identity to cover their tracks, and came into the town where they had met her mother, Beatrice. When Adam and Beatrice had been dating for a while, he trusted her enough to know the truth. It was a lot for her to take in, but Beatrice was dedicated to being by Adam's side no matter what. So eventually they got married after they've finished college, and the trio worked together on solving this mysterious conspiracy that had been going on in Arcadia. They've learned not only there are changelings lurking in the shadows of Arcadia but around the world. They even learned about Bular's existence and their plot of freeing his father before her and her friends. But what they've failed to realize is that they were on to them. The night when Talia's parents got killed, June thought it would be best that they were no longer in troll kind affairs. So she kept it a secret as long as she can remember to keep Talia safe. But instead, the past came right back at them.

"So...that's why he killed them?" Talia asked. "My parent's were on to them about Gunmar?" "Yes," June answered. Talia looked at her and asked, "Did he know that dad was a lion?" June shook her head in response. "No, the Gumm-Gumm's and the changelings all believed they went extinct centuries ago." Talia looked down to the ground hurt hearing that, and said, "So... there aren't anymore...I'm the last one." June and Jinx looked at her and each other in silence feeling her pain and sorrow. Then Talia said, "Bular and Vendel mentioned about the clan's chieftain named, Leo. Do you know anything about him?" June scratched behind her bandaged head, thinking the best way to explain. She inhaled through her nose and exhaled through her mouth. "Leo, was more than the Silver Lion's leader he...was one of the most powerful lion's that had ever lived, your great-grandfather." Talia looked at her in disbelief.

"Him?! Leo?! The Leo?! The leader of the Silver Lions?! Is your grandfather?!" Blinky shouted, pacing back and forth in his library. "If that's true...then that means...makes you a princess!" Talia looked at him from sitting at the table annoyed by his rambling. When she had finally had heard enough, she stopped him in his tracks and said, "Blinky, stop it! We already know the origins of my powers, we can worry about my family's history later, but right now we have to focus on finding the bridge before Bular has the chance of freeing father." Blinky took a deep breath and exhaled, "You're right, nothing's more important than stopping Gunmar and his despicable evil. But we still don't know the whereabouts of the bridge." Talia released his shoulders and explained to him, "That's why Jim came up with the idea of searching Strickler's office. When Strickler's at his house having dinner, Jim will stall and probably interrogate him, while we sneak into the school and see if find any clue we can find that'll lead us to the bridge. But we need to be careful because one of the people I hate, the one that's only patrolling the school is none other than...Senor Uhl." "Why do you hate him so?" he asked. "Because he's cruel, mean, and the worst teacher that has ever lived."

Later, Talia led Blinkous and Arrrgh, along with Jinx sitting on her shoulder, to the school where Toby and NotEnrique are supposed to be. "So this is where come and study?" Blinky asked. "Yep," Talia said. "And the food here is disgusting, believe me, I know," Jinx said. "Not that it matters to you trolls." The entrance doors opened like open sesame and they walked inside. "Oh, my, fabled Halls of Alexandria could not hold a candle to the high school of Arcadia Oaks," Blinky said, admiring the insides. "The halls of what?" Toby asked. "Aha! Feigned ignorance. You are a funny little man, Tobias." he said. As they walked through the hall Arrrgh didn't pay attention to where he was going and ran into the school banter. "Oh, careful, wingman," Toby said, rushing to help him. "We gotta be stealthy. We can't leave a trace. Covert operations are supposed to be covert." They heard some squeaking in the halls and realized it was Uhl. "Quick, we got to hide!" Talia whispered. "I thought the coast was clear?!" Toby looked at NotEnrique. "Was that my responsibi-" Arrrgh silenced him and the rushed over to the painting on the wall.

Uhl was walking, humming, until he saw the banter on the floor, "What in the hallway heck...", he said. Before he could fix the banter he notices something strange about the canvas on the wall. Then he had shrugged it off and fixed the banter, and walked away. The trollhunters relieved themselves from their poses and breathed. "Whew...that was too close," Talia said, coming out from behind Arrrgh. Jinx jumped off from her shoulders and grabbed NotEnrique's mohawk mane. "You, stupid, green, dirty, little weasel!" he hissed. "Don't touch me scruff...furball," NotEnrique said. He grabbed his paw from behind his back and swung him down to the floor, and the two started wrestling each other. "Enough!" Talia came over and pulled them apart. "We're undercover, not in a fighting arena, now let's get to Strickler's office."

When they've found Stickler's office, the team had been doing some investigating. "I'm afraid to say it my friend's, but everything here appears to be quite normal," Blinky said. Toby was sitting in Strickler's chair by his desk. He rested his elbows on the wood surface with his hands together thinking, then grabbed and played with Strickler's favorite pen. "If I were Strickler, where would I keep my secrets?" When he accidentally pulled his pen apart, he thought he may have broken it, until he realized what it was. "I found a key! I found a secret key!" Everyone turned to him on what he had discovered. Toby rushed over to them excited," How spy is this thing?" "Key? To where?" Arrrg asked. "A changeling key for a changeling lock," Blinky said searching for the hidden lock. "Look, look, for a lock." Everyone searched the room again. When Blinky found Strickler's piano, he was about to play, until Talia slapped one of his hands. "Blinky!" she whispered. "This isn't the time for fun." Toby pushed some books aside on shelf and had found what they were looking for. "Guys, I've found it," he said, turning the key to unlock whatever's behind the bookcase, but no avail. "What the...it won't open." "As I told you, by only the hand of a changeling can one open a changeling lock," Blinky said. Everyone turned their attention toward NotEnrique. He looked at them reading the looks upon their faces and tried an attempt to escape, but Talia grabbed him and brought him over the lock. "Do it, you little imp." Toby put the key in his hand and made him turn the lock.

The key shook and glowed green, then there the sounds of gears shift and grinding, the bookcase moved down to the floor, and revealed another room. Everyone gasped surprised on what they had just discovered. "Found it," Arrrgh said. The room had weapons, books, but what really got their attention was a couple of blueprints on the table with some metal assorted parts. Blinky picked up and examined one of the pieces, while Talia looked and pick up one of the blueprints reading them carefully. Toby turned and saw an open book on a stand, and turned one of the pages. "Whoa, wicked." "Undoubtedly so,"Blinky said. " The book of Ga-huel, Gumm-Gumm history." "Whoa! Is this Gunmar?" Toby asked, pointing at a drawing of a Troll wielding a giant sword. "Dang, look at this guy. He looks just like you Arrrgh."

Talia turned towards them, rolled up the blueprints and put it in her backpack. She looked over from behind Toby and saw what he was talking about. Jinx jumped on her shoulder to get a good look at the book. "That's 'cause it is," NotEnrique said. "Okay, yeah, really funny. That's not him." Toby laughed. Arrrgh turned away upset and shamed. Jinx,Talia, and Toby saw the look on his face telling them what he said was true. "You used to eat people?" Toby asked. "You speak the unfortunate truth. Arrrgh, was a Gumm-Gumm and a general in Gunmar's horde," Blinky said. "But just before the Battle of Killahead, he absconded his flesh-eating ways to take an oath of peace. If it weren't for his aid the world as you know it would look remarkably different." Talia turned to Arrrgh and said, "So that's why you stopped fighting. You've spent years concealing your Gumm-Gumm extinct, so you wouldn't have to hurt anybody anymore." "People ran away. Scream, 'Arrrgh, No. No. Stop,'" Arrrgh said. Toby, Talia, and Jinx looked back at the vulgar drawing of his Gumm-Gumm self and took pity on him. Then turned with a smile, "Might have been one then, but you're one of us now, wingman." He brought out his fist and did a double fist bump with him. Talia, Blinky, and Jinx smiled admiring their friendship.

While they've been searching the changeling hideout, Toby had discovered a big black ring with green spikes which Blinky identified to be what is called a Fetch. He also said that it was also how NotEnrique came into this world and another but small portal to the Darklands. Not Enrique turned around pouting, but then he saw something that caught his eye, and recognized a slithering smoke coming from a rock. He menacingly smirked and told Toby to take a look on the other side, and see if he can find the real Enrique, then Toby gullibly put his head through the fetch. Jinx had smelt something in the air and turned to find a black fog of smoke. Jinx yanked Talia's hair freaking out stammering, "T-tt-Tal-Tal." "Jinx what-" Talia looked at what he was seeing, and dropped a book from her hand. "Uh, Blinky!" Blinky and Arrrgh looked and went into alarm. "We've got an Anstramonstrum!" Blinky shouted. "What do we do?!" Talia shouted. "Slow it down!" he threw a handful of books at the smoke. Talia unleashed her feral state, but Jinx stopped her, "No! Tal! If you touch that, you'll be devoured by it ten seconds flat." Talia looked at him and knew he was serious. Arrrgh jumped and rolled to the door, tore it from the frame, and blocked it allowing them to escape. Arrrgh grabbed the headless Toby and ran for their lives.

The team dashed through the hallways, Blinky removed the fetch in time before Toby could lose his head in the darklands. The Anstramonstrum broke free and chased right after them. They stopped and turned to find the horrible smoke on their tail. "Now, what!" Talia shouted. "Not to worry, Arrrgh and I will lure it away. You'll take Tobias and get out of here," Blinky said, drawing the Anstramonstrum's attention, while Talia, Toby, and Jinx flee the scene. "Follow us, you gaseous cretin." But instead of going after him and Arrrgh it went after the teenagers. Blinky and Arrrgh turned and saw their friends in grave peril. "Oh, dear, I thought my taunt was quite bedeviling," he said, then noticed someone was missing. "Wait, where's NotEnrique?" Then he realized the little imp betrayed them. "That little charlatan."

NotEnrique walked through the halls whistling at his so-called remarkable success. "Suckers, all in a nights work." Then Talia came in running, holding onto Toby's hand with him screaming, and Jinx still on her back. "Hurry!" she shouted. NotEnrique turned and saw them being chased by the Anstramonstrum, and ran. The continued running through the hallway being chased. When they've reached to the ends of the hallway leading towards the gym, they burst the doors open and slammed the doors shut. "I can't believe you left us to be eaten by a fart cloud!" Toby exclaimed. "We can," Talia and Jinx said, trying hold back the fog of death. The Anstramonstrum slithered through the door's frame reaching inside the gym. "Okay, if we can work together, we can..." The trollhunters turned to see the sniveling rat escaping by climbing the rope to the air vent abandoning them. "See you, losers. It's been grand!" "That little, dirty, spiky hair, rat!" Talia growled. "Jinx!" The black read Talia's mind, "I'm on it!" he said, and went after the changeling. Talia and Toby went up to the rope, Toby clings on the rope nervously, remembering how terrible he is in the gym and never been able to climb a rope. Talia looked to see the Anstramonstrum barging in through the doors, expanding rapidly. Toby freaked out and started to climb the rope, he looked down to see his friend staring at the smoke, looking as if she was waiting for it to consume her. "Tally!" he cried.

But Tobias fear had deceived him, Talia wasn't committing to suicide, something deep inside was telling her how to stop this, she unleashed her feral state shining brights as a star, took a big deep breath into her nose, and let out a mighty thunderous roar, creating a massive force of wind, the Anstramonstrum disappeared into thin air. Tobias slid down the rope with his jaw hanging from his face dumbstruck and walked over to her speechless.

NotEnrique fell out of the air vent and made a hard face landing on the marble floor. "Oi, that's going to hurt in the morning," he said. Before he could get up, Jinx jumped landing on his back with his two hind feet pinning him down. The changeling looked up to see emo puss in boots with a sly grin. "Well, would you look at that. A changeling best by a cat." NotEnrique rolled his eyes and moaned feeling the humility.

Talia and Toby met up with Blinky, Arrrgh, Jinx, and NotEnrique tied up and gagged. Blinky went up to them concerned, "Are you two alright? We heard something loud and shook the entire school. What happened?" "Let's just we took care of the Anstramonstrum and made it out alive," Talia said. "How?" Blinky asked. "The fart cloud mcdoomsday ran scared from Ms. Lioness's roar," Toby said, pointing at Talia. "Big roar," Arrrgh said. "Well, it looks like the Anstramonstrum's been...schooled!" Blinky joked. Toby and Arrrgh didn't get the joke, Talia raised an eyebrow not impressed, "Really?" "What about, Jim," Arrrgh asked.


	18. Chapter 18

Silver Lion

Chapter 18

June had been fully recovered from Trollmarket, and was able to move around as she pleases. But before she could do so, Vendel did one last check up on her. "Well witchling, it appears that you are all better now," he said, checking her blood pressure. "For one who has been through Bular's torment... you are remarkably strong." June got off from the stone table after he had finished. "Thank you," she said. Vendel saw a worried look on her face and knew what she was thinking. "Still concern for your niece," Vendel asked. "Ven...Master Vendel, after the son of Gunmar had killed my brother and my sister-in-law, I dedicated my life to keep her safe from learning the existence of your kind and her families history," June said. "But... I feel like I've failed. There is no way Talia can run away from all of this...Fighting is in her blood." Vendel put his giant, stone, hand on her back for comfort. "You are right. Fighting is in her blood," he said. "But unlike her grandfather, she has seen things through by learning and not to jump to conclusions. She may be stubborn, but she is strong and that's what makes her lion." June looked up and smiled by his kind words.

The trollhunters regrouped at Tobias house in his room with the fetch now in their possession, they hoped that they could use it as a way to rescuing Claire's baby brother, but Blinky and Arrrgh would not allow the task. "What good is this amulet if it can't help me with this," Jim frustratingly asked. "Claire's brother is trapped somewhere in the Darklands, and there's nothing I can do about it?" "Unfortunately, there is nothing any one of us can do," Blinky said. "But we have to do something," Talia stated. "What about the furgolator machine," Jim asked. "I can shrink down, maybe-," before Jim could finish, Toby interjected. "I mean, sure, we can go all fun-size, but when it wears off and we become full-size, we'll be stuck in there, too." Blinky nodded his head agreeing with him. "And the Darklands is a black labyrinth, Master Jim. Simply finding Baby Enrique would be a nigh impossible task of its own." "Gunmar," Arrrgh pointing out, while playing one of Toby's video games. "Arrrgh is right. If any of us were foolish enough to cross over, under no circumstances could you be saved, at risk of freeing Gunmar," Blinky said.

"Guys, we're talking about a baby here. A baby! That has been taken, switched by an imposter, and is being held against his will in a horrible dark place," Talia exclaimed. "We can't just leave him there!" "Tally's right, what if we-" Arrrgh interjected the argument, towering over them, and stated, "Under no circumstances!" "Dude, don't be reckless! You almost just lost a golden tuna roll! sit down! Relax," Toby calmed him down returning to his video game. Jim looked his amulet disappointed. "What happened to the Trollhunter answering every call," he asked. Blinky put a hand on his shoulder and said, "You have a strong heart, Master Jim, a quality rarely seen in trolls. I believe, one day, you will answer that child's call, but that day cannot be today."

Then Gnome Chompsky stepped in a salute telling them he would volunteer for the mission. "Chompsky, no! It's too much to ask," Toby said. But Chompsky chattered assertively saying he can handle the dangers of what lies ahead. "Well, you know what," Jinx stepped in. "I like your attitude little guy, I will accompany on this mission." "Jinx, are you serious," Talia shocked. " "Of course I am. Remember, I'm bad luck I can use my ability to help get us out in every situation. If we ever run into any trouble I'll know what to do," Jinx assured. "You are one brave kitty I'll give you that. Just promise me that you guys will be careful," Talia said. "Alright, let's started," Jinx said. Everybody turned to the Fetch and made their decision.

They set the Fetch on the floor and activated it, they got a rope out, and tied it around Jinx's waist. "Now, if things get out of hand, yank the rope three times, and we'll pull you right back up," Talia said. "And be careful," Jim said to the teamed duo. "It's dangerous in the Darklands. When you find Claire's brother just give us a tug and well get you back, okay?" Chompsky gave them a thumbs up telling them he understood. Blinky kneeled down to the two, "I have sorely misjudged you. You are no vermin. You are a 'ver-man'. And you are no prey, you are a predator." "Wait!" Toby grabbed the doll to Chompsky. "She has something to say." Chompsky grabbed ahold of the doll and lovingly embrace her with his final words. "Okay, this is getting weird," Talia muttered. After Chompsky says his goodbye's, he jumped onto Jinx's head and walked slowly to the portal while everybody took cover behind the bed fort.

Jim held onto the rope tightly, when they stepped on the edge of the portal, the two took a deep breath and dived right in. Jim loosened his grip, letting the rope slide from his palms allowing them to travel. "All we can do is hope," Blinky said. Talia clenched the wooden frame of the bed worried about their friends. "Okay so far," Jim said. Then they've felt a tug alarming Jim. "Hey! I've felt a tug," he said. "Quick! Pull him in," Toby exclaimed. But then the rope tug harder pulling Jim like a fisher catching a big fish. His friends grabbed him and try to reel their friends back, but the rope snapped and break making everybody fall. "Oh, no!" Jim gasped. "Chompsky!" Toby cried. "Jinx!" Talia cried. Toby rushed to put his head through the portal, but Arrrgh pulled him back. "Oh, no," Jim repeated. "They got 'em," Talia asked with a shaky voice. "They are scrappy creatures, Talia, if anyone can survive there, it's them," Blinky assured. "Still want that Furgolator now," he asked Jim.

They then heard knocking on the window and saw the young changeling outside on the roof. "Open up! Let me in!" he anxiously said. Jim went over to open the window. "What do you want faker," Talia glared. "A goblin came at me. I made mincemeat out of him, but now the rest of 'em want their pound of flesh. I'm lucky to have escaped with only a soiled diaper!" he said. Blinky came up to him and slammed him on the desk he was standing on. "You've drawn the ire of goblin vengeance and have led them here!" Jim broke them apart to calm down the tension. "Blinky, take it easy!" "Relax," NotEnrique said. "They think the girl did it. Now, they're after her." Jim then slammed him on the desk. "They think Claire's responsible? They're gonna go after her!" Jim grabbed his amulet and dashed through the door. "I have to save her!" "Ain't no one goin' after him? Bular's got all the bridge pieces," NotEnrique said.

"Yeah, we know that, but they don't have the amulet," Talia said. NotEnrique made a weird look on his face, Talia raised an eyebrow then remember finding blueprints of another amulet like Jim's, and then slammed him on the desk. "Wait, they've switched Jim's with a fake?! They have the real one?!" "And now, I hear all they need is the boy," he said. Talia released him in shock, then went after her endangered friend. "Jim!" "We mustn't lose sight of Master Jim," Blinky said to Toby and Arrrgh. "Toby, Arrrgh, you protect the Trollhunter." Arrrgh grabbed Toby, he tried to fit through the door, but before they leave, Toby looked over to NotEnrique and pointed at him, "You are despicable." Now it was just Blinky and the changeling. "What are you gonna do," NotEnrique asked. "By my six eyes, I will find the bridge if it kills me," Blinky said. "And you are going to tell me where it is." NotEnrique shook like a leaf terrified by the six-eyed troll threatening him.

Talia had caught up with Jim and made it towards Claire's house. They climbed to the second level of the house and reached outside her window. Jim tapped her window alarming her, "Claire, open up the window!". Claire rushed over and slid her window up. "What are you two doing here?!" she grabbed and pulled Jim inside. Talia stepped right into Claire's room after Jim. "We gotta leave. They're coming for you," Jim said, holding her shoulders. He grabbed her hand, but Claire released her hand from his grip. "Who's coming? Why were you guys on my roof," she asked suspiciously. "Claire, I promise we'll explain everything later, but right now is not the time you're just gonna have to trust us," Talia said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You're in danger." "Don't touch me! You're all freaking me out!" Jim sighed and said, "Okay, how do I explain this?" He inhaled and said, "Your brother has been switched with a changeling, but now, the goblins are after you because of something he did, and now I'm here to save you."

Claire looked at him with an unbelievable expression. "I always suspected there was something different about you," Claire said. "And now I know. You're crazy!" She grabbed his wrist to make him leave, but Jim broke free from her grasp. "Stop! I know it sounds insane, but I can prove it to you." He took the amulet out from his back pocket and showed her his amulet, but it wasn't convincing. "Okay...I'm the Trollhunter. This amulet gives me mystical powers." "Seriously," she sarcastically said. "Stand back," Jim said. He recited the incantation, but nothing happened. "I'm glad I stood back," she sarcastically said. "Uh, Jim there's something you need to know," Talia said. "When Strickler came over to your house he ...uh, switched the amulet with a fake." "What," he exclaimed. "Strickler?" Claire asked. "Perhaps it's best I show her my proof," Talia said. Jim nodded his head in agreement.

Talia took a deep breath and concentrated, a white aura surrounded her body, her nails grew into claws, her hair flew and began to shine like stars, and revealed her ice-cold blue eyes. Claire looked at her speechless and yet amazed by her appearance. "What...what are you," she asked. Before Talia could explain anything a rustling sound of little feet came from on top of the roof. "They're here!" Jim gasped. "Who's here?!" Claire freaked out. "Goblins," Talia exclaimed. "They're the ones that have taken your brother! Check his crib!" They rushed to Enrique's room, Claire opened the door and found the room a mess like there was a struggle, and found her baby brother gone. "Enrique!" Claire gasped. She turned and grabbed Jim's shoulders, "Where is he! Where is my brother!" "That's what we've been trying to tell you. He's been switched by a changeling," Jim said. "What's a changeling?!" Claire asked. "Shapeshifter's, your real brother is in the Dark-" Before Talia could explain the rest, they heard more rustling coming from outside, and she spotted a shadow past by the window. "We gotta go!Now!"

They rushed outside of the house but stopped them before they could go any further. "What about my parent's," she asked. "They're not after your parents," Jim said. They heard a large howl and snarling noise coming from her house and saw the creatures with fiery yellow eyes. "They're after you," Jim took her hand and they made a run into the woods. But the goblins were chasing after them. Talia stopped and shouted, "Get Claire to Trollmarket! I'll hold them off as long as I can!" "Trollmarket," Claire asked, as they continued running. Once they were out of plain sight, Talia unleashed her power once again ready for the goblin horde.

She heard the rustling in the trees and snarling coming from the bushes. Talia growled sensing their presence and had her claws out. One of the goblins jumped out from one of the bushes and pounced. But Talia reacted in time, struck the goblin with a slash of her claws, and killed it. Then more started to follow, she kicked and slashed the incoming goblins as they tried to gang up on her. While she was busy dealing with her attackers, some of the goblins slipped by and went after Jim and Claire.

"Jim, are you sure, Tally, can handle those things back there," Claire asked worriedly. "Trust me there is nothing Tally can't handle," Jim assured, as they continued running. Toby and Arrrgh arrived at Claire's house, he told Arrrgh to hide before he went up to the porch. He rang the doorbell several times to get an answer and Claire's father opened the door. Before he could say anything, Arrrgh signaled him and showed him Claire's backpack he had found in the back. "They're gone. I mean- Hey, you're here! Mr. Nunez, what's up," he asked trying to look cool. "You wouldn't happen to be interested in a magazine subscription, would ya?" Mr. Nunez grunted, irritated, thinking he was some annoying kid and slammed the door shut on him. "So rude," Toby scoffed. He ran up to Arrrgh then heard the echo snarling coming from the woods. "Oh, no! Come on! We have to them before the goblins do!"

After Talia had finished the last remaining goblin, she saw Toby and Arrrgh. "Guys," she shouted. "Tally! Where's Jim," Toby asked. "He took Claire and went that way," she answered, leading them to their friends. The goblins that went passed Tally continued to chase after Jim and Claire. When one of them tried to stop them, Jim made a left turn and ran. But the chase made them both exhausted they stopped and hide behind a tree. "I'm scared, Jim," Claire said. Jim shushed her, "I need to find a weapon." "Tell me what's going on!" Claire demanded. Jim took off to find what he could use for protection. Claire hugged her knees to her chest feeling scared when she heard the snarling sound coming from somewhere in the woods. But then she heard something close by, something in the bushes, then it jumped out making her scream. She crawled back frightened as the goblin approached her, but Jim came back just in the nick of time and strike it with a stick. "That...is not a raccoon," Claire said. Jim helped her up and said, "Like I said goblins." He held up his weapon prepared and observed his surroundings. "You were serious," Claire asked. Then there was another rustle in the woods. "Stay close to me," Jim said.

Another goblin that was lurking in the trees, dived down and went straight for Jim. But Jim saw it incoming and swung it away, he saw another one from behind but he missed. "Goblins don't exist! They're not real!" Claire freaked. "Claire, not the time," Jim said, busy fighting off the goblins. A goblin jumped onto him from behind. "Whoa!" he struggled. "Don't worry I got this." Claire grabbed his stick and attacked the goblin, bonking its head, and then hit it with a left punch. "Whoa, good hit," he complimented. Then suddenly the goblin horde had surrounded the two teenagers nowhere else to run.

In the museum of Arcadia, the stolen amulet began to tic and spin sensing it's Trollhunter in danger, grabbing Bular and Strickler's attention. Jim and Claire continued to struggle with their fight with the goblins attacking them. Two of the goblins grabbed and pinned Jim down to the ground, Claire saw this and aimed a couple of rocks knocking them away. Jim got back on his feet and guarded Claire behind his back. More of the goblins just keep coming. Jim was scared and confused and didn't know how he was supposed to save Claire without the use of the amulet now that it was stolen and replaced. But something deep and powerful came from within, reached his hand out in the air, and yelled, "For the Glory of Merlin-where are you?"

Stickler picked up the amulet to examine curious about its weird behavior. "That's strange. Why is it-" Before Bular could finish the amulet flew out of Strickler's hand, he grabbed it, but then the amulet dragged him around the exhibit, then broke free from his grasp, and flew around like a swift bird. Bular tried to snatch it, but the amulet escaped bursting through the window, soaring high in the air like a rocket, ticking with its gears rotating trying to find it's owner, and had found his location. It dived down to the town across the streets in high speed, knocking Steve off his Vespa along with his other tooth, zig-zag at under the bridge, pushing Eli aside while reading one of his books, and dashed past Talia and the others.

"Weird," Arrrgh said. Arrrgh was right about one thing, but Talia and Toby knew it could lead them to Jim. "Come on!" Talia said. She unleashed her power and accelerated at the flying object. Jim hand sensed something coming his way and suspected to be his amulet and reached out his hand to the mystical it as the goblins piled on him. The amulet came in brushing past the trees at maximum speed, Jim saw it coming, and caught it. "For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command," he said. Claire had witness Jim, create some magical force to push the goblins away, the bright blue aura surrounded Jim and lifted him high in the air, summoning his armor, and clinging itself onto him. Jim landed on his feet with magical armor, summoned Daylight in his hands, "Get down!" Jim warned Claire. Then began slashing every single goblin in his way and Claire watched on how amazing he is wielding that giant sword of his. "What the-How the-," Claire said lost for words. "Yeah, that cool thing I wanted to show you? This is it." Jim explained.

Claire walked up to Jim and got a good look at the armor, "This? This is...Wow." "Pretty much," Jim chuckles. Claire touches the cold silver metal and the amulet. "This was never a costume," she said. A goblin sneaked from behind, Jim saw the thing and finished it before it attacked. "Ugh, I hate those things," he said. "These things took my brother? Do you know where he is," Claire asked. "Yes...and no. It's complicated," Jim explained. "The monsters... in your letter! They were real monsters," Claire exclaimed. "No, no. Not monsters. Trolls. And some of them are my friends," Jim said. Claire took a few steps freaking out, hyperventilating from all of this. "Breathe," Jim comforted her. "This is-" "Take a breath." Claire pushed him away, "Don't tell me to-" "Claire," Jim said. Claire got herself some space and took a deep breath. "I should've believed you," Claire said. "Why does something that makes no sense make so much sense now? When you've missed so many rehearsal-You wore that knight suit to tryouts!" she slapped herself in the face. "Ugh! Like, being in a stupid play is suddenly some high priority." "No, it is! The play must go on! We have to make it look like everything is normal. If people knew...I'm-I'm sorry, Claire, but you can't tell anyone about this," Jim said. "Not your friends, not your parents." "What am I suppose to tell my parents? That he's been replaced by some sort of change-thing? A shapeshifter? Am I going to see my brother again," Claire desperately asked. "Like I said it's complicated," Jim said.

Talia had spotted Jim up ahead, seeing him in his armor with Claire. She skidded to a stop in front of them. "Are you guys okay," Talia asked. She looked at Jim and saw his face bleeding with scratches on his face. "Oh, my god. Jim," she examined his face. "Your hurt." "Tally, I'm fine," Jim assured. Talia looked at Claire and judging by the scared look on her face she's seen too much. "You...you okay, Claire," Talia asked. Claire looked away sad and answered, "No...I've just learned that my brother is missing." Talia took pity on the poor girl and felt like could use a hug. Before she could do so they heard a familiar someone's whistle in the woods. Jim draw out his sword and Talia unleashed her power and guarded Claire. "You need to run. Run home and don't look back," Jim said. "I'm not leaving," Claire stated and picked up a weapon. "Who's whistling?" "Nomura," Talia answered pointing at her above the tree.

The female changeling jumped down revealing her terrifying killer face. Claire dropped a jaw awestruck of what she was seeing before her. "How cute," she chuckled, drawing out her blades. "And they say chivalry is dead." "Run, Claire!" Jim shouted. Claire did as she was told and ran back straight for her house. Talia stood beside Jim with her claws out. "Think you can handle the both of us," Talia threatened. "The Trollhunter and the Daughter of the Silver Lions. Oh, this must be my lucky day," Nomura said. She attacked the two, but they moved out of the way in time, Jim swung his blade parring with hers, and then Talia came at her with a sidekick to her side. Talia swipes her claws trying to reach her as she dodged each attack, then kicked her with a lead front kick pushing her away. Then Jim came in with a horizontal strike, Nomura did a backflip and landed on one of the trees. "She's mine!" Talia exclaimed as she jumped right after her. The two female fighters were now in a parring with each other jumping from tree to tree balancing on one of the branches. Talia tackled her making a harsh landing on the changelings back, Nomura kicked her off with a double kick and got back on her feet. Nomura then went after Jim, he ran up the closest tree, did a back flip, got his distance away from the assassin, and threw his sword at her. But Nomura evaded just in time before it could hit her and hit the tree instead.

"Impressive. How you've grown. I'll cut you down to size," Nomura threatened. Jim summoned Daylight back into his hands and came right at her. The two were making sparks with their weapons, Nomura kicked him out of the way, then Talia came right back at her with a punch in the face with a strong force it knocked her right into a tree. The girl pressed her forearm against her neck in the choke hold. "Still think you can take us on," Talia asked. Nomura kicked with her knee below her ribs making lose her grip, grabbed her hair and tossed her aside. Jim continued the struggle, while Talia tried to walk off the pain. Nomura was fast and Jim was getting too exhausted to keep fighting. Then Nomura knocked him out of his armor with a powerful sidekick against the tree. Jim tried to reach the amulet, but the changeling pinned him down. "The other amulet-" he said. "A fake! Just like you. A human Trollhunter," she chuckled. "That must've broken Draal's heart." "You had the real one," Jim said. "We tried to open the bridge, but apparently, it needs you to do it," Nomura said pointing one of her blades at her. Talia clenched her and clawed one of her hands into the ground. "So, why are you trying to kill me," Jim gasped. "Not kill. Take," Before she could knock him out Talia's aura shined blinding her, and strike her with a back roundhouse kick. "Over my dead body," she growled. Nomura was about to fight but then she heard the other girl's voice and spotted her with her father running towards them, and saw Toby and Arrrgh coming from behind, giving her no choice but to flee. Talia exhaled dropping to her knees. "Well, that went well."

Blinky traveled underground through the tunnels which led him to the museum, he lifted the trap door and had found the Killahead Bridge just like NotEnrique had told him. "Great Gronka Morka, the changeling was right," he said. "The bridge is complete, and it was here the whole time!" Then a couple of big, stone, black, feet blocked his sight of the bridge and looked up to find Bular before him. "Oh, dear..." Blinky squealed. Bular grabbed him and pulled him up to his face. Then Strickler walked up to him with NotEnrique by his side. "If Young Atlas won't open it for us, maybe he'll open it for you," he said. Bular maliciously laughs liking the idea, but Blinky had felt he had just doomed them all.


	19. Chapter 19

Silver Lion

Chapter 19

After Jim rescued Claire and survived the night fighting Nomura with Talia's help, they both ended up in the hospital to recover their injuries. But the bad news is Barbara had to see her own son in the state he was in and it made her even more worried and to make matter's worse the trollhunters had received a message about Blinky. Jim played the recorded message once again to Toby and Talia, "Master Jim, you must listen to me very carefully. They've captured me and want you to come to the Bridge, and bring Talia...alone," Then he screamed. "Don't come it' a trap!" Then Strickler grabbed the phone, "Give me that! It appears things have grown awkward, Mr. Lake. Meet me in the alley beside the theater if you ever want to see your friend again." Blinky then yelled his final words, "Don't open the Bridge! Under no circumstan-" then the line cuts off. "I've listened to it a hundred times now, and I still don't know what to do," Jim said. "You don't have to do this alone. You've got Arrrgh, Draal, Tally, and me," Toby suggested. "They said I had to be alone and bring Tal. If I don't, what do you think they'll do to Blinky," Jim asked. "Blinky made it clear. 'Under no circumstances,'" Toby said. "Tobes, we may not have a choice," Talia said. "And besides enough friends have been hurt because of us." "So, no more," Jim said. "Well, it's your call. You're the Trollhunter," Toby said to Jim then turned to Talia. "And you're the lion." He pulled out Jim's amulet and gave it to him. "Here, I picked it up in the woods after they dragged you away. I thought that since we found it together, we'd always be in this together." Then Barbara came into the room, "Hello Toby, Tally," she greeted. Jim hid the amulet behind his back from her. "Hey, Dr. Lake. Tally and I were just leaving. He's all yours," Toby said. Talia and Toby left the room with Jim and Barbara to talk.

Talia came back to Trollmarket to tell her aunt about the news about their captured friend. "No, absolutely not," June exclaimed. "Aunt June, we've already lost Jinx and if I don't go with Jim they might kill Blinky," Talia said. "I'm sorry to hear about your friend, but one life is not worth the world... or you," June stated. "If Gunmar gets you, you'll be his slave, his weapon, and there is no going back." "I know that...but I've already made up my mind... I have to go," Talia looked at her seriously. June could stop her with her magic, but that still wouldn't stop a girl like her. So she accepted and respectfully let her go. "Then go to him."

Jim went back to his house after he has been relieved from the hospital and told Draal about Blinky. "I don't understand. Why do you need to do it alone," he asked. Jim searched the house for something and said, "Because this is the only way it will work. You have to trust me on this, Draal." "I trust you, but I also fear for you," Draal said. "You are walking into a den of death. For what? Blinky?" "Hey I'd do the same for you," Jim said. Draal looked at him bewildered, despite these two started off as enemies, but in the end, he did show him mercy and returned the favor of saving his life. "Now, do you remember what you're gonna tell Toby and Arrrgh when they start to wonder where I am," Jim asked, as he looked in one of the cabinets. "Aha! Here it is!" After he had found what he was looking for, he went into the garage and got his bike. "If anything goes wrong, if it means anything, I hope you're the next Trollhunter," Jim said. Draal looked at him awestruck, looked down in sympathy, "And I hope it won't come to that." Jim took off on his bike in the rain.

Talia had waited at the alley by the theater all soaking wet, where she was supposed to meet Jim and Strickler. Jim arrived all soaked from the rain and parked his bike. "You ready," he asked. "As I'll ever be," Talia said. Check the time on their phone and as expected Strickler arrived. "So you two did come alone," he said. "This is just the first time you've followed my instructions to the letter. You're learning." Three goblins crawled down on the wall behind them like spiders without the two teenagers noticing. "Where is Blinky," Jim threatened, the goblins jumped on the two, one of them checked for Jim's amulet while the other two put some strange bracelet on Talia's left wrist. Talia shook them off and tried to take the bracelet off but it wouldn't. "What is this," she exclaimed. "That is a Fouding ring, it an ancient mystical artifact created by the Chinese to negate any magical user and it will only come off until I unlock it," Strickler explained. "Take it off now!" Talia exclaimed. "Oh, but of course right after Gunmar is free. Please follow me," he said. Talia growled attempting to strike him with his back turned, but Jim calmed her down, "Easy Tal, let's just do as he says," Jim said. Talia piffted irritated and followed Strickler.

They walked down the square and led them right to the last place they've looked to find Killahead. "The museum? The Bridge was here the entire time," Jim asked. "After we moved it, we knew it would be the very last place you'd look," Strickler said. As they reached inside, Talia shook and drained the water out of her hair, and continued towards the bridge. "Just between you and me, when Gunmar rules the surface, I'll do my best to look after your mother," Strickler whispered to Jim. Talia stuck out her tongue disgusted. "So kind of you," Jim sarcastically said.

Bular and the changelings had Blinky all tied up hanging upside down from the ceiling like an ornament, and made a staircase of wooden crates and planks to the bridge. They waited patiently in the exhibit for Strickler bringing in Jim and Talia. "They won't come Bular, "Blinky said. "Jim is a trained and true Trollhunter and Talia is one of the most powerful lion's I have ever met." A bright green light lit behind the curtains and Strickler came in with Jim and Talia. "Oh, Master Jim, why did you not heed my warning," Blinky despaired. "You promised we'd build that Vespa together. Remember," Jim said then turned to Bular. "Now cut him down. I brought what you wanted." Bular pointed his sword at Blinky and said, "Open the Bridge. I will not ask again." He signaled Nomura and she quickly grabbed ahold of Talia to restrain her from attempting to do anything. "Let go of me you crazy pink troll!" she struggled. Strick shoved him to do what he was told. "Sorry, kid. It's just business," NotEnrique said. Talia glared and growled at the little green imp hoping that she would get the satisfaction of killing him. Jim climbed the staircase crates as Blinky begged him not to open the bridge.

Jim made it to the top and took out his amulet ready to open the bridge, Blinky continued to implore him to stop. Talia watched feeling helpless as if there was nothing she could do, Bular smirked believing he had won. But then there was a sudden and electric beeping sound echoed the exhibit. "He's wearing a tracking device," Nomura said alarmed. "You said the trollhunter was alone." "Not Trollhunter. Trollhunters!" As on cue Toby, Arrrgh and Draal appeared making a dramatic entrance. Toby was wearing a pan on his head, with a couple of cooking sheets as his breastplate, wielding a bat, and a blue rectangular object as his shield. "I am Toby, grandson of Nana! Fan of hard rock!" he pressed his phone and played a soft song of Jazz making everything look awkward. Talia sighed and rolled up her eyes, "You're an embarrassment." Toby stopped the jazz music, looking to find which song was best, then played hard rock. The trolls got ready, Jim recite the incantation, and summoned his armor. "Kill them all!" Bular ordered and swung his blade down upon Jim, but the Trollhunter blocked him. Draal tucked and rolled up the crates, and got in locked with Bular. "I am Draal the Deadly, son of Kanjigar, and you will suffer for my father's death!" Talia gave Nomura a headbutt in the face dropping her, then grabbed her right arm, swung her over her shoulder making her land on her back. "I may not have my powers for the moment, but I can still fight," Talia said. Toby and Arrrgh charged in the exhibit, "Kill them all!" Toby yelled. Arrrgh tackled Nomura when she got back up, NotEnrique swung a punch at one of the goblins and tried to act innocent, "I didn't mean to do that." "Bad Baby!" Strickler hit him with a roundhouse kick. Toby screamed charging right for Strickler, "Toby Domzalski! You are in way over your-" before he could finish, Toby swung his bat right underneath his groin. He squealed clutching between his legs in pain and landed dead flat on the floor. "Rule number three," Toby said. Talia ran over and checked him where he has the key to unlock the bracelet and found it in his pouch. "I'll take that," she said, taking the key and unlocking the bracelet. "Thank you."

Now free from the mystical item, Talia concentrated and unleashed her power, she pounded her fist into her hand and said, "Alright, who's next?" "Ha-ha! You led the others right to us," Blinky proudly said to Jim. Jim saw an incoming goblin and slashed it, then another grabbed one of his legs, Jim tried shaking him off. "Of course! Strategy move from A Brief Recapitulation: Volume 43," Blinky said. "I've never doubted you for a second." "Tal! Help Blinky!" Talia had heard Jim while she was fighting off Nomura and helping Arrrgh. She jumped on the staircase crates and off to Blinky's direction, and cut the rope using her claws freeing Blinky. But made him fall screaming coming in for a rough landing. His head spun for a moment then shook it off and glared up at the silver-haired girl. "Sorry," she apologized.

Everyone continued fighting for the fate of the world, Talia saw Strickler back in action fighting Jim. "Jim," she said. She ran to close to the where the bridge was, jumped from the balcony, threw in a punch at Strickler's face, grabbed his cape, swung him against the bridge, and put him in a chokehold. "It's over, Strickler, you've lost just give up," Talia said. "You can't change the tides of history, cub!" he said. Bular and Draal came rolling causing the staircase to collapse. They reacted and jumped out of the way in time before they could even fall underneath the wood pile. Toby grabbed Blinky and took him behind the pillars for cover and told him to stay there for protection. Draal was getting exhausted from fighting Bular, he hit him with an uppercut punch, sent him flying, pinned him down and was at his mercy. "Like father, like son-" before he could finish him, Arrrgh pushed him out of the way, they both charged at each other like and were now in a headlock. Draal got back up and saw the two young warriors fighting off the changeling, Strickler, and went to assist. But Nomura saw this and blocked his path. "Care to rekindle what we had, Draal," she laughed. "Rekindle this," Draal said, as they start fighting. Arrrgh was still in a headlock with Bular and he laughed, "If my father were to see you now! You were a killer! His general! You're not a pacifist. You are a pet!" Arrrgh growled in anger making his eyes turn green for a minute. Jim and Talia continued their fight with Strickler, Talia came right at him but left herself wide open when Strickler pulled out a knife and wounded the side of her waist. She screamed and clutch her wound in pain, Jim came right in for Strickler, but then he hit him with a sidekick. "You disappoint me..." Strickler said, he grabbed Jim's neck. "When I had such high hopes for you." He took his right hand forcing him to take out his amulet, deactivating his armor, he dragged the young struggling Trollhunter, place the amulet into the key hole, and unlocked the bridge.

The amulet charged the bridge channeling its energy opening the portal creating a powerful wind sucking up everything in its path. Talia struggled to try to get up from the pain. She looked at her wound and noticed it was sealing up fast and probably figured it was a new power, but she had to worry about that later. Talia regained her strength, got back on her feet, and tackled down Strickler. "Take it out!" she yelled. Jim reached for the amulet and tried to take it out but the amulet was wedged in there tight. "I can't it's stuck!" "Not many people are lucky enough to say they were there when history was made," Strickler said trying to break free.

Draal got Nomura in a corner and had her in a chokehold they saw the bridge activated and the portal open, she reached her hand out to the bridge, maliciously smiled and said, "Killahead Bridge! The time is now!" Draal roared in the denial. They heard Gunmar's powerful voice calling out to his son. "Father!" Bular cried. "We've failed," Blinky cried. "Nothing can stop his return!" Strickler yelled. Then Draal took action, he climbed onto the bridge, reached out for the amulet, and tried pulling it out. Nomura jumped on his backstopping him from doing so, Talia knocked out Strickler with a punch, pounced on her, knocking her off and sent flying into the portal. Talia was about to be sucked in, but Draal caught her grabbing her hand.

Now he was struggling shutting off the bridge and trying to pull Talia up. Talia looked at the black hole and could feel the monster and his army getting closer. If they reached the surface lands it would be the end of the world, so Talia had to make a decision. Either it was being trapped in the Darklands or letting terrible evil loose. "Draal," she yelled. "You have to let me go!" "What?!" he yelled. "You have to let me go or Gunmar will reach the surface!" she yelled. "I can't do that! I made an oath!" Draal reminded. "To Jim! Not me!" she yelled. "So, keep your promise!" Draal paused for a moment, closed his eyes, turned away and released his hold letting Talia being sucked into the Darklands.

Draal successfully shut down the bridge causing it to collapse before Gunmar could break free, but it costed his own arm. Jim had recovered from the rubble and saw his guardian unconscious, and cried out to him. Jim rushed over in his unconscious state and watched his petrified hand fall apart which held the amulet. Jim picked it up and then heard Draal groaned, "I hand you the amulet, but-" "You're alive!" Jim cheered. He looked around and noticed someone missing. "Where's Tally?" Draal closed his eyes and shook his head in remorse. Jim had already known the answer it was written all over his face. "No," he said. They then heard Bular's roar and saw him dug out of the rubble crying out for his father. "Master Jim, we must leave at once!" Blinky said. "Help me Arrrgh!" Jim said trying to help Draal back onto his feet.

The Trollhunter's have made their escape through the sewer's, but Jim was caught in one more fight with Bular under the bridge where he last faced Kanjigar. But instead, Jim was the one who came out on top. Just when they thought it was over Bular came back with his last and final breath, and nearly killed Toby, Arrrgh let his extinct kick in, protected his friend, and finished Bular. After that Jim made it to the play in time and finished the show, then returned to Trollmarket with everyone celebrating his victory, but it wasn't much as a victory without their friend, Tally. They told her aunt everything of what happened after the fight and it took a lot to take in for her. Jim and Toby sat outside sitting on some staircase eating Tacos. Jim looked at his amulet and said, " I don't know how Tobes, but we are going to save Claire's brother and get Talia back." "That place is huge, Jim! They could be anywhere! I wouldn't even know where to start looking," Toby said. "Then, there's Gunmar, of course." "We'll figure it out. We always do," Jim said.

Somewhere in the dark pit, in the dark labyrinth where death has written all over its walls. The lost girl lied there on the floor and started to regain consciousness. She shook and rubbed her head like she was hit by a truck. Talia looked at her surroundings, "Where am I," she said to herself. She unleashed her power, used her claws to climb up the wall and got a good view when she had reached the top. She looked over the horizon and saw a big green eerie light that looked like an eye, and there was no sky, nothing but a giant cavern of darkness. That's when she had realized that she was in the place where the Gumm-Gumm's were being held prison, the Darklands. She called out, "ENRIQUE!" but she heard nothing but the sound of her voice echoing throughout the land.


End file.
